Neptune
by Onyxx-09
Summary: She was vibrant and enchanting, always with a dreamy look in her eye. He was shy, quiet, the unlucky one everyone made fun of. He could never catch up to her, be with her. But oh, how he wanted to tell her. But stitch by stitch she came apart, like brokenness was a work of art, and he couldn't tell her she'd always been a masterpiece. And he wanted to love her, but didn't know how.
1. Sol - self, vitality

**_A/N: __This is a short story inspired by the song "Neptune" by Sleeping At Last, and it's canon-adjacent AU because of a few OCs. I hope you like it._**

**_Summary: This is a simple story about a simple character. This is a story about loneliness and longing, about friendship and learning what it meant to mean something and belong. About the life of that belonging to the generation of The Second Wizarding War. This story tells about how those who cry the loudest are usually the ones who are the most quiet, how those with the brightest smile have experienced the worse pain, and to not take genuine kindness for granted. Because life is short. Oh god, life is so short. And with a flick of a wand and a few cursed words, it could be taken. Those of The Second Wizarding War generation don't know this but they will learn. Sadly, so many will learn, but not all. That is the tole of war, after all._**

_**[Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its characters, settings, and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but my OCs. **]**_

* * *

**_Neptune_**

**_Sol _**⊙ _Self, main concerns, vitality_

* * *

_"Pitch black, pale blue;  
__It was a stained glass variation of the truth,  
__And I fell empty-handed."_

It is a known fact that Loony Lovegood has a cousin.

Aberrant, ambiguous, and distinct like her. Who perhaps matches her rambling about heliopaths and dirigible plums.

Having a relative wasn't that uncommon here after all, with being such a large and historic school. To be accepted would lie much on with one's bloodline and magical ability, besides location of course.

Loony Lovegood has a cousin.

Long, platinum bangs, and a feverish, contagious smile. Luna has a cousin that was unlike her but yet they had the same peculiarness.

At Hogwarts there was a girl named Luna and a girl named Echo—the moon and Oreiad-nymph. Luna Lovegood and Echo Bell. Practically joined at the hip, Luna sometimes has her extensive hair braided. Echo has a shirt cut in the back and slanted eyes; she was a peculiar girl and at quick glance appeared the complete opposite of her cousin's looks.

It was Loony and her pal, her crazy cousin, as it would go.

But it was unintentional, the tag names.

Their blood was unintentionally made known one year on the train ride of the Hogwarts Express when it would be Luna's first year. But at the young age of eleven and before that happened, bursting with excitement for her first year at Hogwarts and trying to make friends, poor little Echo had the misfortune of finding a live toad tangled among the robes she peft behind after returning from the loo. She had let out a piercing scream that lingered in many's dreams afterward. She then went on a rampage to find out whose toad it was.

She guessed she shouldn't have left the car door open...

With her name's derived either from a story or location of her parents' honeymoon—depends on which you ask—she already stood out effectively. If you didn't notice the small girl with bright hair almost perfectly hiding her eyes, then she'd be the one in the back that wouldn't stop bouncing her legs. If Luna was to be known as being calm and passive, then Echo was spacious and energetic, a Gryffindor will later come to find out. And her patronus will form a dolphin when she is in her later years, to match.

Now, Echo wasn't special; she wasn't _important_. She didn't have a good reputation to uphold, a brain to show off, or talented at sports. She never was—she and her cousin were _weird_, after all. Her hair cut was deemed odd by her peers and her cousin's was too long and messy. There was a permeant scar along her right cheek and a mole birthmark on Luna's neck, something Luna hides with her long blonde hair.

And one can only imagine the frightened dance she had performed that day long ago once seeing the toad crawling out of her robes then… And that she had missed a bushy-haired brunette asking around the train for a toad...

And Neville—poor Neville—had the unfortunate luck of falling in the path of the then-eleven year old's panicked rampage. She had been the one running down the train and hollering angrily. She had almost stepped on his hand with her heel, actually.

He had stood from crouching in a doorway, looking for his animal, and up at shocked bright eyes behind a thick curtain of bright blonde hair. Echo had luckily paused before stepping on him, her foot raised in he air.

She could still _feel_ the creature's cold touch, and was still _very much_ unnerving.

Neville had stood straight up and asked rather rudely to "watch your step will you? You could step on Trevor," whoever that was. He was rather shy and his voice was sheepish like he was never sure of himself.

Echo had snapped in response and huffed, still very rattled.

Neville would make sure to keep track of the toad from then on and years after.

But that was the last he had seen of the short-haired girl—of course, until later that night in The Great Hall for sorting.

"You will come _quietly_...and I will place the sorting hat on your head…and you will be sorted into your house," Minerva McGonagall explained. "….Hermione Granger!"

Echo remembered that girl being the first called up to be sorted. Next had been Draco Malfoy, Susan Bones, and a boy named Weasley. She had wrinkled her nose then, trying to hold in a snicker.

Echo and Luna had held hands back at Kings Crossing and now she stood alone, waiting her turn to be under the hat. The round of students were to be sorted in a house, see their common room and meet their prefect. Echo planned how she and her cousin would attend the same teachers when Luna would come in next year. They would, and would converse with their house ghost, talk about fairies and trolls, and sneak late cups of hot chocolate in the winter time like they've always done at home. It would be grand, it would be _fun_!

"Vincent Crabbe!" McGonagall's voice echoed The Great Hallm

The aged leather hat paused. "_...Slytherin_!"

But that never happened.

McGonagall turns to Echo.

"_Hufflepuff_...!"

Echo will watch with a pit in her stomach next year as her cousin—and the only person she knew—would become separated from each other. While she and Luna would stare in horror from across different house tables, the only ones not smiling, both would warm up to each's different crowds _eventually,_ but it was only a matter of time before they were individually known as "loons."

"I suppose we could _still_ hang out together," Luna would speak to her cousin in that usual soft tone of hers. "Nothing's gonna stop that. ...We just don't have the same classes…"

"Or schedule…or in the same year. Which means we probably won't see each other at all…"

Echo knew the truth and Luna couldn't deny it. They have always been together, like sisters they were; their parents had made sure to keep family close. Echo had wiped away tears that night and it took a long time for her to fall asleep.

"This was never going to work."

Echo was known to have relations with Luna Lovegood at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her oddness stemming from her unusual name. With it, of course—which had to do with the judging that came with dealing with adolescence—came the expectancy of her being just as offish as her cousin. Given, the rest of her loopy rumor would branch from Luna despite being in different houses.

Kids can be so cruel.

"I'm terribly sorry, Echo."

Luna always felt she had to apologize for her cousin's misfortune. It was her fault, she felt, that Echo was teased so terribly.

"It's all terribly my fault. I shouldn't have—-"

"It's fine, Luna," Echo would interrupt.

The students would tease her for hanging out with Luna, suggesting that she might have a screw loose as well, that she saw imaginary creatures floating and needed a check-up. But Echo wasn't going to let them push her to isolating someone who hasn't done any _wrong_ or was at any fault, especially family.

And Luna had watched her mother die just a few years prior attending the school, and to turn her back on someone afterwards would be a disown.

So she didn't listen.

And the teasing worsened.

Echo Bell of Hufflepuff was the cousin of Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw, but she was known by her own individuality of being so outspoken and lively and spontaneous. She wasn't important, no, and she wasn't significant or even the smartest in her classes or had a special talent. She attended a school with one of the most brightest witches of her decade and of the most pristine and a famous boy named Harry. Echo would become nothing but a punch line, a name that was a joke.

_"That's Echo Bell."_

_"Stay away from that one. I here she's a bit loopy in the head too."_

_"She hangs around that girl, Loony Lovegood, so you know there's something odd 'bout 'er."_

_"She's related to her ya know?"_

_"Well then she's definitely loopy. Might try and fill your head with nonsense."_

That's what they whispered about her. That's what they expected of her and mumbled behind her back.

Echo Bell was nothing but a name that few could match a face to. Though the teasing would start a few years later, she would grow to being a joke, much like her cousin and stemming from her.

No one cared for her because no one knew her, and those who did, didn't want to, afraid of superstitious rumors. And Echo would fine with that. She liked books more anyway.

No one bothered to talk to her for very long. That is, until a day in first year in the hospital wing.

It was a September afternoon and there weren't many to fill the beds. One of the few was a seventh year with a terrible cold, an fifth year girl who couldn't stop puking slugs and oozing green mucus from her nose, and a young boy with a broken arm. They were all asleep.

Neville whines, wincing when he accidentally bumps his cast. His wrist had been broken for four days now all thanks to that wretched broom during flying lessons. Now, he couldn't do things as simple as spoon food into his mouth—as he was trying to do now, and with much difficulty. His dominant hand been broken in the fall after his broom lost control.

He steadies to lift a spoonful of food, lets out a snort when it missed his mouth and spills it on his bedsheets. And it tastes _awful_—some groul a nurse conjured up—and threw the spoon down on the tray, frustrated. His head snaps up at hearing giggling.

"You don't want to eat that."

He hears the high voice but there was no one looking his way. All the other patients were asleep, or turned away. Not too far across the room was someone looking out the tall mosiac window from their bed. Neville guesses it was them.

"Are…" and he stammers again, "are you talking to _me_?"

The young girl who rapidly turns around is about his age. "Yes," and her slanted eyes crinkle in a silent smile. Neville could see since her bangs were held back from her face by a number of hair pins. "You don't want to eat that—it's Ethel's latest _concoction_. And no matter _what_ she says, it has _no_ healing properties. But if you must, I suggest dipping a jelly scone in it if you insist to eat it."

He stares for a moment in silence, unsure whether to say something back or not. He decides to go for it.

"How would _you_ know that it doesn't help heal? …And...was that _you_ who was laughing at me?!"

He must never sound sure, she thought, noticing his voice tremor.

"I know because that boy, the one next to you, he had about three bowls a week ago and now look at him." She gestures toward the sickly boy a few beds over from Neville. He was asleep now but whenever awake, his stomach empies itself and he groans.

The girl in the bed across from Neville's was kicking her feet as if in excitement, which was odd since the only _excitement_ he could find was the girl puking slugs in a corner.

And the girl leans forward a bit, tilting her head to the side with a little smile on her face. Her legs are bent underneath her. "And yes. I couldn't help but laugh at the faces you were making. You looked so frustrated. ...Have you never broken your arm before?"

Neville pauses. "That's…that's not very nice, you know." He thinks for a beat. "Wait a moment. You were looking out the window, you couldn't have seen me!"

The girl looks away at an angle that he could see how her side bangs fell just above her small shoulders but the back was cropped short.

"It was through the mirror's reflection," she admits slow before turning back to him with a tilt of her head. "Have you never broke your arm before?"

"Of course not…!" He wants to call her out, say how ridiculous it was to go around breaking one's own hands—and then he saw hers, but she quickly hid them in the folds of her robe before he could get a good look. Neville then wonders why she is wearing a robe over pajamas.

"How'd you break your arm?" She jumps down and scurries over to his bedside and her eyes are wide and exciting. He instinctively scoots away.

She rests her cheeks on her hands with a growing smile on her lips.

Neville swallows. "…I broke it." He doesn't want to tell her the truth, lest she see him as weak too. He knew his house mates would no doubly be laughing at him—especially that boy, Malfoy.

"I can _see_ it's broken—I mean _how_? Did something hit it? Did something trample you? Was it a spell?" Her eyes sparkle. It wasn't just some shine of curiosity—Neville looks into the eyes of this stranger girl at the foot of his bed watching him, smiling; he looked into her eyes and lcouldbswear that he iterally saw them _sparkle_.

"Um," he stalls. "Something fell on it," he lies.

Her eyes widen more in excitement, if even possible. "Who did it?!"

And Neville starts to panic for an excuse. This girl expects something _cool_, not that he fell from being hung on the side of a building during broom practice.

"That's a lot of questions. What are _you_ even doing here?"

The smile fades from her face. She appears to look sheepishly. Neville didn't expect her to raise her hands to his face then. They were bandaged and blood was already steadily seeping through.

"Oh."

She raises a finger to her lips in a _shh _motion. "The nurse don't like it when we are out of bed, so be careful."

A brow arches but Neville wasn't going to say that he wasn't _planning_ on moving for some time. She tells him to not get too loud. He didn't know how loud he could get with a broken arm.

She then lets her hands fall and raises her body by pressing against his bed mattress, and coming uncomfortably close. "Do you think it's odd that Muggles use those stick things—what are they called?" She positions her fingers as if holding a cigarette. "Even though it damages their lungs?"

Once again, he doesn't know whether to answer. She then reached to his bed table, grabs a bottle there, uncorked it and sniffs inside. Her nose wrinkles in response.

"Well," she continues, corking the bottle back. "I want to see a nargle." And she grins.

Neville remains silent.

"By the way, what's your name?"

Neville is a quiet boy who isn't too sure about how to deal with conversation, something he could tell this girl could do quite well. He was shy, timid, and didn't speak up much. But then, the girl in the hospital room did most of the talking. He learns that her favorite color is blue like the sky, and she admires orchids for their scent and beauty. While recovering and watching her get stitches and spells cast on her hands, the two continue talking. They speak of many things, random things, things when the nurses weren't around and giggling behind their backs when they were supposed to be getting their "beauty rest." Some of it even earns them looks from the other patients in the ward. The two talk about their classes and Neville tells about a garden back home and she fantasizes about training beasts.

And she was a mischievous, talkative girl she was, who ate her food strangely and would spin with an arm outstretched as if a falcon was perched on it, telling of the tricks the imaginary thing would do. Eventually, Neville would grow accustomed to waking up and asking her what to avoid eating or to a strange question like "why are oranges the only food named after their color?"

She was an odd girl she was who made the time fly for those short sever'al weeks, until her hands healed and she left. Neville would admit that the remaining time spent in there was different and quiet, the hours dragging on without someone coming over to sit on his bed.

He didn't see that girl again.

The flowers at a bedside were withering and browning, and the tall window at the end of the room streaming in daylight, and Neville sits alone in his hospital bed.


	2. Mercury - communication

_**[Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Mercury_** _Communication, intellect, reason_

* * *

_"You let me  
__Set sail with cheap wood  
__So I patched up every leak that I could, until the blame grew too heavy."_

**Second Year**

Draco Malfoy is maddening, irritating, _pitiful_—

Malfoy is already making a name for himself as one of the most despised in the school. He is one of those boys your mother warns you to avoid and big sister tells to shove pie in their face. Draco thinks largely for himself, for himself, and shows his privileged roots whenever he can. At the same time, he is determined to be seen as the _best_ and _important_ and feared, and has no problem selling others out for this purpose. Most either sneer at his passing or avoided his path, afraid of the trouble and rumors his running mouth would start. But Draco was like most of students here who dwelled on the validation and praise and support of others.

At thirteen, Draco has already declared Harry Potter as his mortal rival.

Unlike him and others who would get in trouble for whispering to each other, Echo would get scolded being caught reading an unassigned book in class or wandering a corridor she was supposedly not to, or staying up talking with the castle's ghosts. That was also one of the things Draco had pointed out about her _loudly_ and while in class—how Echo was always doing something _mental_, that "who is so crazy to want to talk to _ghosts_?" Mind you, it was something that many students did, but he just wanted to make her look _bad_.

"They were people once, too!" she exclaimed.

Echo doesn't talk much, which is one thing people did talk about her _for_. But she has been social before—tried to make friends once, but now, not many took time to do more than _actually_ tell her the time of day.

_"The girl who talked to books like they were people."_

_"The one who would randomly blurt out in class and nonsense."_

"Can you even see past that hair of yours?" Draco questioned once behind the instructor and after throwing a paper ball at her head. "Or did your parents purposely make you keep that cut to save the rest of us from your _hideousness_?"

He never did get caught whenever he teased her. But Echo tried not to let that irk her nerves even when others would talk to her, repeating their words in a steadily lowing tone, in a way mimicking a tunnel's echo like that was the only way she could communicate.

But despite, she still carries her books to class and take her quizzes with the rest of them, and passing still. She ate with others of her house and would look away when that girl in Charms class would meet her eye. Even when they would point out her "weird" or "hideous" earrings she wore that her cousin made for her, she wouldn't let that deter her from raising her hand to an answer she knew in class, or blurting something she suddenly remembers, or being the loudest in her cheer section at Quidditch games.

Optimistic, offbeat, and off-base. She smiles a lot, double-ties her shoelaces.

One person she knew who had such bravery was a girl with bushy brown hair whom the teachers murmur fondly about; who apparently is quickly academically climbing above peers. Echo overhears this in a classroom as she passes, cuddling someone's lost pet rat in her hands. She hears Professor McGonagall and Septima Vector giving commendations toward Hermione Granger. Funny, really, how Echo walks right passed them—right in front of McGonagall and several other professors—and it was like they hadn't seen her at all.

No one really notices her, really. She's known in her house for causing an easy fright from her silent footsteps. That's why it was always sort of a _shocker_ whenever someone would speak to her face to face with a _smile_. That's why she had been so excited that day in the hospital wing too, that for once she had someone to _talk_ _to_ who wouldn't shove her aside like a nuisance.

Don't get it wrong—no, she _did_ _try_ talking to others—she tried _a lot_—though most couldn't hold a conversation for long. Apparently, her sentences string too long and her words jumble together. She speaks slower than her mind processes and it puts many on edge and confuse. She's terrible at socializing, really, and her mind easily wonders and sometimes it's hard for her to concentrate.

But she tried to not let it get to her _much_, and spends most of her time alone and counting down to when she would see her cousin sorted. But still, Echo wonders about that day back in the hospital wing. Her feet would swing under the dinner table and she would look around the conversing throughout The Great Hall. But she was too short and could barely see over the shoulders of others.

She would wonder what would have happened had come back to the hospital wing and perhaps spoken with that boy some more. She did like him; he was entertaining and shy. But still, she wonders...

She doesn't know what happened to that boy in the hospital wing with the broken wrist.

_~ O ~_

Weeks later, there's a disturbance in Potions where the class had to be emptied in fear that one of the cauldrons would explode. Eyes shifted around to blame and Hermione was running her mouth about _what idiot could have gotten Aconite Fluid and porcupine quill mixed up_ as that was the only _possible_ explanation to this scare. Professor Snape was also glaring at the culprit the whole time, making his little head bow in shame and red flush up his neck and to his cheeks.

That culprit had been Neville, frighted and panicking when threatened by the professor in front of in class.

As the students dispersed and were dismissed, Harry Potter trailing after Ron Weasley, the only one who lags behind with Neville were two boys, Seamus and Dean—though he was more into his _written notes_ than those around him. Neville hopes that the rest of the day would go well despite this mishap. They had been assigned their first essay of the year, and overhearing Hermione's loud suggestion, were going to start on it three days later.

Now the three—Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom—though separate, where lost somewhere in Hogwart's grand library. Yes, _lost_—or as it seemed to be. Neville had seen the two earlier and thought about asking them to work together for the essay—since he had forgotten the main points they were to write about anyway. He saw the two and turns away, fearing he would be ridiculed and once again was afraid to ask for help.

The three boys were determined to start this paper early, apart from last time when they had turned it in late which costs points to be deducted from their houses.

They had split up for the time being, each looking for their own research material to share later. But of course, no one stayed focus. Neville in particular, had drifted from the history book section to plants. As his fingers grazed the spines of ancient books, he idly pulled one from the shelves and began thumbing through it before adding it to the growing stack beside him. He flipped through a second book, and another. And it wasn't until this third one and his fingers catching a page about flowers did his brows crinkle.

_Toad-eating plants are a large species of plants that many say resemble large orchids. This common, but difficult to harvest species of plant grow commonly in boggy and swampy environments, but can grow accustomed to being as house plants if kept in very moist soil. The toad-eating plants' diet consists of toads, as its name deprives, as well as other amphibians..._

Neville's lips moved along with the wording, his finger an additional guide. His legs had already found the nearest chair and was nose deep in the book before he knew. His hand found his parchment and was soon taking notes. He was comfortable, the essay not even a thought anymore.

Many minutes passed by as time was forgotten, and Neville had filled up at least half his parchment when he came to a section in the book that confused him. He set his quill on the table and reread the paragraph once more, twice.

He mumbled to passage to himself: "The begonia plant's immune system is abstinent, and must remain in humid conditions year round, this believing its ancestors originated from the South. Though, this has no recollection with...do…? …dubbobs? No...I mean—-"

"Obstinate. I think that's what you meant, its immune system is obstinate, is it not? It means that it's most likely not going to change."

Neville looked up from his book, wondering whose voice that was. The library was quiet except for hued conversation and the only person was in front of him had a book in front of them.

"I know that," Neville lied. "Dugbogs—what exactly re they?" he asked in time to see the person put the book on the table, leaning over it with an arm on her cheek. The girl across from him too had a piece of parchment beside her with notes. He could tell from the color of her robe that she was a Hufflepuff. Neville inwardly sneered.

She turned a page. "Dugbogs're nasty little buggers that love to eat your begonias…if that's what it was you're readying about, is it?"

"Yeah…" he began.

"May I ask why you're reading about them? You're not going to think about planting begonias, are you? That would be unfortunate…"

Her voice was soft, he realized while listening to her, and was very high and couldn't put where he could have heard her before. She looked very familiar but Neville had a bad memory and didn't feel like giving himself a headache trying to remember something that was probably not even real. Maybe it would help if he could see the rest of her face, but everything north of her nose was hidden behind thick bangs.

"What's it to you," he countered, not nearly sounding as tough as he wanted and turned back to his book. He tried to appear focused and knowledgable about what he was doing. He shyly slid his blank parchment out of sight and into his lap.

She paused. "It's not."

He tried to ignore her. He didn't want her to know that he had forgotten to write his essay, but it was a prickling feeling up his neck that happens when knowing that someone is watching and knew could tell she was doing just that. It was the sort of feeling that prickled your skin, that you didn't need to look up to know that a short, almost-white haired little girl was staring at you with an undiverged stare.

Time passed with him trying to ignore her but as the minutes passed, the feeling that he was being watched didn't change and he began to sweat, and not knowing whether it was from nervousness or annoyance, Neville turned a page, wanting to call her out. But the words never left his lips. He had heard rumor starting to circulate about an odd girl with equally odd hair, but never thought he'd actually run into her since she was of a different house.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?!" his voice wavered more than he planned.

The girl blinked once. "I'm bothering you; ...I'm sorry." She turned. "It's just that, you look oddly familiar…we've met before in a past life, right…?"

What she said went right over his head.

By now, she had closed her own book and had her small hands were folded on the table, and Neville knew she was ready to talk for a while. But he wasn't planning to—he had a paper to write. His first, actually.

"I think I'd remember someone who looked like you."

"Like me…?" Her eyes widened.

"Yeah, 'cause, you know…" He gestured.

She stared at him, wide eyed and curious. And then it dawned on him: she had no idea.

"You know," he began, "your…" He pointed at his head and her hands flew to hers feeling if something had gotten catch. "No," and he sighed. "Your hair—it's…_weird_," Neville explained sheepishly.

Her hands lowered. "How?" She grabbed at her side bangs that reached near her shoulders. "It's just blonde."

But it was a light blonde that belonged to only a very few here, one which was one of the most well known, being a rich pureblood Slytherin who liked to boast.

"And it's too short," he added, crossing his arms, finally giving an air of confidence.

"So?" She held up her side bangs, playing with them and twisting them side to side.

He scooted his chair back. For a moment, Neville wondered why was she twisting with such a silly smile and thinking he should just leave this weird girl alone again.

"You know, if you want to talk about someone, your tie is crooked. And _I_ can tie a better tie than you _obviously_ can—and I'm a girl!" she stuck out her tongue, smiling.

Neville didn't have a comeback for that one and just stood, glaring at her.

"Now, are you going to sit down and read or stand there all day?"

Neville hesitated. For some reason he had become anxious, not knowing whether to leave or not. He wasn't afraid by this girl, he told himself; she hadn't done a thing to him.

_But she could tie a tie better than I can. And she's a girl!_

"If you want, I can tell you a way to get keep your plants from being eaten too." She smiled, flipped her head and he could finally see her eyes peeking out from behind her front bangs.

This did fault his decision to leave. Maybe this girl would know information that Pomfrey wouldn't go over—and if she did, he'd be advance in it. Neville weighed his options.

The girl watched him with slanted eyes as, after several still minutes, he finally turned fully towards her. He folded his arms. "What is it then?"

She then covered her eyes. "I dunno. You don't look like you're interested—you're getting ready to leave," she kicked her feet, still smiling. But then, her smile vanished. "You too don't want to talk to me, do you? It's fine—if you don't want to."

Isle down, someone must have dropped something because there was a loud fumble followed by a hushed "bloody hell!"

"That's why I'm covering my eyes," she explained. There was no trace of a grin on her face anymore. "So if you want to leave, go ahead, because I don't want to see you go and I'll just get back to reading again."

Neville looked around.

Moments passed with no noise other than those in the library.

"Are you gone yet?" the girl spoke to what she thought was empty space. After a moment of wait, she lowered her hands to watch Neville scooting back in his chair.

"Not until I hear about how to protect those begonias. I want to get some when I'm older."

He watched her rub her eyes. He wouldn't tell her that they were still moist when she lowered her hands but his brows did knit for a moment.

He spoke how interested he was in wanted to learn about plants. Her eyes sprinkled in a slight smile as she listened.

Neville held up a finger to pause his speech. "Did you ever get sent to the hospital wing last year? There was some girl there and I had a broken arm then—-"

She nodded. Paused, then a wide smile and giggled. It was _her_ giggle.

"-—That was you!? I knew you looked familiar!" He had a terrible memory and could only recall bits and pieces of the short couple days she had spent with him almost a year ago.

"But you said you never saw me before."

He shrugged. "Well…" He lied, he admitted. He shrugged to try and make it seem nonchalant.

Behind her hair, her eyes looked the chubby boy up and down.

Somewhere else in the library, students were gathering required material for assignments or asking ghosts for help. Aisles over, Dean and Seamus had found their own research material for the essay. Meanwhile, Neville had completely forgotten about it. He and the girl continued talking for hours until he remembered when Professor Binns spotted them and accused him of slacking.

"What's your name again?" the young Gryffindor held out his hand across the table. "I...I'm Neville Longbottom by the way."

He frowned when she began giggling.

"What's so funny?!"

"Nothing." Her bright eyes crinkled as she smiled widely. She grabbed his hand in both of hers, in an improper handshake. "I'm Echo!"

"Bell? Are you related to Katie Bell? She's in one of my classes."

"...I don't know who Katie is, so I would suppose not." She drifted to the blank piece of parchment with "Animal Essay" written at the top. " ….Do you want help with your essay since you want to write about creatures."

Neville thought that sounded like a great idea.

_~ O ~_

After that, Neville didn't speak much to or about the girl. He did see her much except in the hallways, mainly with her head bowed like his. It was expected though, being from different houses. But that didn't stop the eavesdropping—even those that weren't intended—hearing of her being ridiculed for whatever reason that could be created, from her voicing an incorrect fact to her tying her tie into a bow instead. He would look away though—he always did. It wasn't like he could speak up about it. Who would listen to him, Longbottom, the boy who sent himself to the hospital wing first year and then was hung on the chandelier by fairies?

He heard that she was seen running up to a Ravenclaw girl in the hallway that was a year under her like they knew each other, since both were rambling about something and smiling, before running off down the hall, hand in hand.

There were times Echo did see Neville and would run up to him even when he was with others, yammering for a few seconds about some creature she had found fascinating and then a few bits about some herb she thought he would like as he would blush with embarrassment before running off. One time, she ran up to him at lunch time, hands covered in dirt and a bit on her robe and face, wearing the widest smile and holding out a large beautiful bright purple flower cupped in her hands that she found in the courtyard. He would rush to put it away and shoo her before anyone saw how dirty she was.

She was always so enthusiastic.

It was one time and months ago she unintentionally ratted him out, innocently blurting his name when a fourth year Gryffindor was looking for a "short chubby boy who stuttered a lot and carrying that bloody remembrall he kept leaving in the common room." She had turned around, blurting his name and asking what the boy needed Neville for. The fourth year had just turned and left. She had found out later finding Neville in the courtyard by himself. He ridiculed her for it, as she stood in front of him, watching him from behind the bangs in her eyes. She had let him yell at her and call her every offensive name he could think of—a tattletale, a daydreamer. She let him rant without saying a word. She had made up for with a cupcakes she had managed to nab from lunch too.

But their sitting was cut short when some began muttering amongst themselves about the two seated together as they passed. Neville had quickly gotten up and left not long after the third passing of appointed whispers, spitting out a lie as his excuse to leave. He wouldn't—couldn't say anything against the words of others. He didn't want to become even more of a target for teasing. He was too afraid to face them.

Besides, even if he wanted to...

Neville put his head down and kept walking.

_~ O ~_

The next time Neville saw that girl was in The Great Hall for the new batch of first years. The tables were applauding for each house's new additions and he had looked up from congratulating Ron's younger sister.

She had been staring off into space and despite the glee that was so heavy in the room, no one seemed to notice Echo sitting stock still and looking horrified. And then he stopped mid-clapping. Two fat tears fell from Echo's heterochromial eyes and he didn't know if she would have made any sound, if he could have heard at all. Her nostrils flared and. At first he thought she was staring at him or the Gryffindor table. He turned around and saw another girl—a first year—turned around from her new seat at the Ravenclaw table. She had longer, darker blonde hair and a look just as distraught in her wide eyes. Neville didn't know if she even saw him, if she was even paying enough attention to.

An upper class girl at his side nudged him. "Are you alright?" she vice carried over the roar of crowds.

Neville just nodded. He looked back in the direction of the Hufflepuff table, but now someone—and someone rather large—was sitting in the space that had given him a view and now couldn't see her at all.

Oliver Wood noticed Neville's confused look and rather slow clapping. He turned around, couldn't find what the brunette was staring at and sent a raised brow in younger's direction.

Later, in the common room, Oliver asked him about it, bumping his shoulder as Neville sat in one of the armchairs before sitting across from him.

"What was with you earlier at dinner?" Oliver questioned. "You look like you were hit with a Blue Sparks charm."

Neville just looked at him confused, and then it dawned on him. "I just remembered something is all," he lied. He was lying a lot lately and didn't quite like it—he never liked lying and saw it troublesome.

Echo Bell was a girl who always smiled. Though tonight she cried. It never occurred to him that she _could_ cry since she smiled practically all the time, he thought to himself that night in bed. No candlelight could have created an illusion of those tears rolling down her face.


	3. Moon - emotions, habits

_**[Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **]**_

* * *

**_**Neptune**_**

**_Moon _**◯_ Emotions, instincts, habits_

* * *

_"Stitch by stitch I tear apart  
__If brokenness is a form of art,  
__I must be the poster child of prodigy."_

Within the weeks that passed, Neville didn't see much of the girl—Echo—from the library much. He did pass the essay, by the way, and with high marks to add, something the professor and the class gave him a look of shock for. Neville, of course, kept quiet about it. But for the many days that passed, there wasn't a random spoken word or glimpse of her bright hair for a long time. It was like the girl with her hair chopped off in the back had dropped out of existence.

Neville did go along with those that invited him to hang around now and then, but he found himself glancing around just a little too often for a crown of snowy hair or listening just a little too closely for a giggle out of place. Those that invited him were more outgoing and just didn't notice anyways.

Weeks passed of this, up to the point Ron started pointing out that Neville kept acting like he had lost something his remembrall was trying to tell him. Neville had just went with it and never corrected the boy.

Once, Neville _did_ ask. It was some time around curfew in the common room, and Ron and Harry were placing wizard's chess, Dean was reading a textbook, and the few older students nearby paid no attention.

Neville had cleared his throat, mustered up some courage and spoke: "Any of you heard of a girl here with white-blonde hair chopped off in the back?" Neville has only seen her a handful of times, maybe five, and every time she'd leave and it was like she would vanish as if she'd never been there in the first place. Either she really _was_ a ghost or just a fast walker.

Dean shook his heads in answer.

Ron paused. "Is that some kind of ghost here?"

"No…!" Neville's brows crinkled. "Her name's Echo _Bell_….I think" He added the last bit as precaution.

"What house is she then?" Harry spoke, making his next move and taking Ron's knight.

"…Hufflepuff, I think." He remembers her tie a yellow color.

Ron looked up. "You think? Well if she's Hufflepuff then of course we haven't heard of her," he groaned. "What are you doing hanging around a _Hufflepuff_ anyways?"

Neville remained silent. "No reason."

Echo Bell was a girl about his height that smiled almost all day and just radiated joy and innocence. It was her dreamy-looking gaze and bright smile that stayed with him.

_~ O ~_

The next day Neville saw Echo was out when he was looking for Trevor behind the kitchen, near the garden. To this day, he remembers the first words she spoke when she saw him and still could never fathom just _why_.

"What do you suppose is fate, fate, really? And truth? I don't believe in the first much, 'cause I think it's just a made-up contraption humans have created to make themselves feel better, like time."

He had stammered, "what are you talking about?" and continued looking for his toad, hoping she'd take the hint to leave him alone so he could put her out of mind.

"There is no such thing as coincidence, is there? That's made up. And fate. When time lines up with preparation and luck, that's only when the universe will allow whatever it is to happen. It's something that can be created and manipulated…I think..."

_Wasn't that the same thing?_ He arched an eyebrow at her. She was indeed loopy.

Silence passed with them staring at each other more out of confusion and not meeting up with each other's thinking.

"What, next you're going to tell me that the moon is made of cheese and the sun is purple?"

"That would be quite peculiar wouldn't it? I heard that those little bugs—flying whales I think they're called—they can make you see things as different colors. They're called that because they like puffing out little clouds of color in your ears and puff up when they do it. Though I think they look more like pufferfish than whales... They may be related to Glumbumbles, I think."

Echo was an odd girl and Neville wasn't exactly sure why he had been so intent on seeing her. Maybe he stayed int he garden instead of leaving as a way to reassure himself that she wasn't in fact a ghost because of the rare times he saw her. But she wasn't transparent, so that wasn't an option anyway. Maybe it was to make sure he could look for her when he had another essay due.

"I found this garden a few days ago by accident. I like coming here to read. It's peaceful." Her gaze flickered to the sega of books she had left against the castle wall behind them.

Here, the scenery was marvelous. The view overlooked the surrounding hills that disappeared into forestry. The view allowed them to see out across the dark forest for miles until the sun peeked out from the far off.

The wind blew. Neville grabbed for the hat on his head. He turned to Echo, who had barely moved.

He watched as she stood her ground, leaning forward slightly as if the wind would carry her off if she just lifted her arms. The wind blew her pale hair, her long robe flowing out behind her like something marvelous, and the light hitting her just right, turning her eyes into jewels. A pang hit deep in him, and it was something that made him wish he was could be as strong as she seemed.

"This is my secret place," she stated simply, almost a whisper that he guessed was meant for herself.

Later, Echo pushed Neville down the hill before rolling after him. Her laughter drowned out his surprising scream. They were caught afterwards and then driven away by an angry, ladle-waving elf.

_~ O ~_

Meeting her became a regular occurrence, Neville found, whether it was catching her in the library or at her table at lunchtime if she wasn't perched on a ledge in the hallway with her nose in some magazine. Echo was indeed an unusual one, and Neville was still unsure about other's opinions of her and avoided her around others, so he didn't spend too much time in the hallways—that is why the library and the secret locations she found she found were a sort of safe haven. Neville still cared too much what others thought, kept losing Trevor and forgetting the most important details. And Echo would still be gone almost as soon as he turned his back.

After that afternoon behind the kitchen, Echo had been hesitant to talk to Neville at first, oddly given the rest of that afternoon was spent on her pushing him to join her rolling down the hills. Now, she was more hesitant and he noticed she was missing her belonging increasingly. Neville had asked her about it once but she had only smiled, her usual dreamy look in her eye:

"It's nothing to worry about."

Even when all her quills where mysteriously found broken once, Echo had worn a pleasant smile.

Neville didn't speak of it much anymore. But still...

"I found my cousin sleepwalking again," she spoke randomly once while in the library. They were in the back so there was less worry of seeing someone one who would start telltales.

Neville had looked up from his books about desert vegetation. She was sitting across him, reading her _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ for the hundredth time. "You have a cousin? Who?"

"Luna. Luna Lovegood. We're cousins on her dad's side. You seen her?"

Yes, Neville had heard of Luna—or _Looney_ Lovegood, as she was starting to be known across as. Neville had no idea Echo was related to such a girl, but guessed it wasn't too much of a surprise.

"Err."

Echo was spontaneous and energetic who periodically forgot her parchments. She spoke up in class too loudly and never shied away from being the first volunteer in The Care for Magical Creatures class. She was a burst of energy and took too long to think of her words when she was called upon. She was the one student whose wand worked wonders with locks but sputtered upon any accio charm. Neville did shy away when there were too many peers around them and when some would mock her. He was very unlucky after all, as it went, and longed to get rid of the reputation. Whenever he thought about it, Neville always came to the conclusion that he stayed around her because she was entertaining and usually came up with answers and homework solutions that he could not.

She had given Neville a hug once in The Great Hall, telling him he had forgot his remembrall which she had brought in one hand, and of course making a blush burn his cheeks. There were murmurs from others that she had ignored but that seemed to fill Neville's ears. His young brain had spun too stunned to react.

Ron had exclaimed, "Oh, _that's_ the Echo girl!?" and she had turned to him, sticking out her tongue.

Hermione had stared silently, having been just a few seats down with her head in her textbooks again. When she caught ear of the blonde's high voice, she suddenly was able to put the voice crying in the bathroom to a face.

It was about three days ago when she went to use the restroom—steering clear of the first floor one. She heard sniffles and sobs from the largest bathroom stall. And after washed up, Hermione had stood and listened, staring at the closed stall door. She didn't know who it was or why they have been crying but she didn't know whether to comfort them—she didn't know how. And when she finally mustered up enough gall, hand pressed against the door ready to push it open, Susan Bones had hurried in, head turning every way until seeing Hermione.

The Gryffindor explained in a hush that there was someone crying and Susan must have already knew She slipped past with a hurried "pardon," and into the bathroom stall. It was too quick for Hermione to see who it was, but she heard as she left the bathroom that Susan managed to sooth the girl. She had bent down before leaving to peek under the stalls that the girl was sitting against the wall and Susan crouched in front of her.

Hermione's eyes widened at The Great Hall table. _Now_ she knew who it had been.

Of course then Neville had kept Echo at arms length, a beaming face to his more flustered.

Soon, it had become part of his norm to pick out a crown of snowy-blonde hair in the crowd.

_~ O ~_

That Professor Lockhart, or whoever he thought he was, wasn't warming up well to the school. That part was obvious. He thought he was more important than he really was.

He liked to make it known that he was _fabulous_ and well known, courageous, and whatever exaggerated lie he could pull out his ass. And there would be mocking behind his back, students mouthing his words and flipping their hair in an exaggerated fashion. This had begun on the first day, but after one was caught and Lockhart added a falcon to perch high in the classroom as his extra pair of eyes, the teasing died down considerably.

That still didn't make him a better teacher. Especially, how he kept avoiding questions about The Chamber of Secrets, as he allegedly so boastfully volunteered to investigate. He wasn't a teacher favored by many students—excluding those with fan crushes—and namely those of Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Ron was very verbal with his disproval; the least being Harry.

Hermoine hadn't complained when it was Lockhart that was to duel against Snape as example for students—as did much of the student body as well. Though, she did hesitate, like many of those infatuated with him.

"Five galleons says Severus messes up," Fred Weasley whispers.

George turns to him, looking surprised. "Five? Ten! I mean, look at that bloke! Wouldn't last a minute. Ten says Lockhart falls on his ass."

A younger Gryffindor snickers near them, overhearing. Oliver Wood catches her and she bows her head, hiding her smirk behind her bangs.

"See? Even Isobel agrees with me," Fred jokes. "Don'tcha?"

She shakes her head, long brown curls bouncing. "I think I'm with George on this one."

"Ah, whatever. That's what I get for asking a first year anyways."

The shy smile of hers was replaced by an angry blush. "Well…well don't come to me when you're having trouble in potions and spells again then…!"

Across the platform, Justin Finch-Fletchley chuckles at them. Both Weasleys chuckle and make loud identical "ahhh!" seeing her blush intensify, though this time not of anger.

Lockhart called for attention then.

"Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves," he boasts, and somewhere in the crowd, Neville sneers. "As I myself have done of _countless_ occasions—for full details, see my published works," Lockhart adds quickly.

The proud man then throws his coat to the crowd. A trio of Gryffindor girls momentarily fight over it.

"Let me introduce my assistant: Professor Snape!"

Neville groans. "I don't see how's he such a big deal. What's so good about that bloke?" he questioned about Lockhart. He suppresses a shudder when Snape steps forward and his eyes sweep the crowd.

"Well," Hermione answers shyly, "he _is_ rather handsome…"

Ron looks at her incredulously.

The next five minutes were spent of George winning his bet as Lockhart was knocked on his bottom by Snape. Then followed were two chosen contesters of each's house to duel each other—a Slytherin and a Gryffindor. The room grew silent as Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were ordered on the platform.

"Of course," Justin Finch-Fletchley mumbled.

All went well after that. There was talk days later throughout the school about the supposed opened chamber of secrets, but that was just a rumor. Though the people who did believe it more than others were certain that Harry was the heir of Salazar Slytherin, especially after hearing him speak parseltongue at the duel.

And then when the curfew was enforced throughout Hogwarts, everyone was sure that something mysterious was going on again.

"I'm certain there is now," Oliver spoke at dinnertime, some days later. "These things can't juts be a coincidence."

"Lots of weird things's been going on," another older Gryffindor added.

"The bathroom's been flooding a lot lately," Seamus added, jumping in.

"Yeah," Dean spoke, "I don't think Filch's gone this long without fixing something. I'm still finding spiders in my room sometimes." He shivered at an uncomfortable memory one morning.

Conversation paused. Neville looked between the boys. He hesitated. "...Have…"

Oliver and his friend were busy with their chicken dinner that none heard.

Neville took a breath, "...Have any of you noticed your animals acting…"

Oliver looks up then.

"…Weird…?" he finishes.

"Well I did say spiders, Neville, and they are animals—-"

"No, I mean like your owls or cats? I now Trevor's been acting really nervous lately..."

All the others answered "no." Oliver and his friend shook their heads due to full mouths.

Oliver chewed and swallowed. "Why do ask?"

"…A few days ago, Harry's owl, Hedwig, went crazy out of nowhere and trashed our room. But that was even after we think someone broke in and stole the diary."

"What diary?" Oliver almost choked.

"Tom Riddle's diary of course." When Neville was met with silence, he asked, "you have heard of it, haven't you?"

Oliver's friend was staring wide eyed. He dropped his drumstick. "He has Tom Riddle's….!?"

_~ O ~_

"Well I think it was pretty predictable. Do you?" Echo looks down at the colorful string she twined together.

"I think so," the tall woman in the painting spoke She smoothed out her blue dress before continuing. "From what I get, he was chosen to duel because Snape favors Malfoy over all the other Slytherins, but I'm not entirely sure why."

Echo thought about this.

Currently, the young Hufflepuff was seated on the stone floor on the sixth level of the school. The hallway she was in was deserted except for the abundance of portraits that hung on the high walls up. It was an abandoned hall of the castle that no one, not even Filch it seems, goes down and had served as her private sanctuary since early year.

This is where she goes to talk to the paintings, mostly when she is has certain circumstances on her mind—including loneliness, curiosity, or when she just needs a quiet place from constant judgment and gossip. The ghosts are also the ones whom she would spend her time with—she just didn't take well to Moaning Myrtle.

Echo lowers her finger from her lip. "You said Snape favors him over other Slytherins—do you think there's people from other houses that do that too?"

"Well, we all know that he doesn't take fondly to Mister Potter and he does bully Neville Longbottom of Gryffindor often," the woman spoke.

"No, I didn't know that…" Echo mumbles.

"...But…"

"But what?"

The woman sighed. She didn't want to lie—she had no purpose to; it's not like she would be punished for doing so anyway. "But there is talk among the other paintings…" She paused to discontinue but Echo was too interested. "…That there is a certain Gryffindor he's taken an interest to, for some reason. She's a little, skinny thing, and her hair is bigger than she is—she's that one who came in a year behind. I can't think of her name at the moment, but I think she is an orphan—or a recent foster kid—I don't know; I heard it from Fredrick down the hall and he always gets information mixed up."

Echo's finger returned to her lip as she thought to herself.

"But there is another young chap—an older one in Slytherin—who I hear Snape is wanting to take under his wing. I, personally, I'm not too sure about him myself. He seems the broody and sketchy type..."

Echo looked up from her pleated skirt back at the painted woman. She could never remember the woman's name, so just went to calling her Azure, a politer alternative to blue like the color of her elegant dress.

"Azure, do you know anything about The Chamber of Secrets everyone keeps talking about?"

The look on the woman's face changed immediately. She leaned forward, and if she could escape the portrait, her finger would be in Echo's face. "Now don't you think about going to go find it! There's already enough trouble going on here to get yourself caught up in something like that. Stay clear of that place, you hear?!"

Echo nods. She doesn't correct Azure that she only asked if she knew about the chamber.

Later that week, Echo wouldn't go into the chamber herself, but she would go into the library where she would run into Hermione for the first time and show her the book she had just seen Draco stuff something inside and leave behind. Though the brunette would give a side eye to the blonde, her eyes would sparkle at the ripped page Echo would pull out for her to see. It was an already ripped page about a creature called the Basilisk that Hermione would take and go study about long after Echo left, and leaving her to become petrified in the future. And it was with this information, some Echo had found on her own, that Echo wrote on a piece of parchment and left on a desk after her class in The History of Magic, left for the next round of students, that a budding herbologist found and how he got the idea of carrying a foul smelling onion while in the halls in hopes to ward off the chamber's creature on a night he was out past curfew and the bathroom waters reached the hall.


	4. Earth - nurture, life

_**[Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Earth _**⊕_ nurture, sisterly, life_

* * *

_"Thread by thread I come apart,  
If brokenness is a work of art,  
Surely this must be my masterpiece."_

**Third Year**

In her third year, Echo Bell was attacked by a dementor.

It was that winter it happened, on a trip to Hogsmeade. The snow was heavier that year and though there had been more staff positioned there to keep an eye on the students, Echo was already an oddball and somehow had slipped through their fingers. She was odd enough that more knew of her name than her face.

It was that winter at Hogsmeade in a clearing that she was found on the snow, mouth open to the cold air, and three dementors hovering above her—it was an event she doesn't even remember; doesn't want to. Echo had gone to seek a quiet place to read at the time, tired of the crowds and mocking from her peers. The dementors approached her without warning.

It was some Slytherin girl who had found Echo, too afraid to fight on her own and unknown of a spell for the creatures anyway, the Slytherin girl ran back, screaming. Still, it was a good several minutes or so until a helpful adult listened to the hysteric girl and even then, by the time they were lead back, with several nosey students in tow, two more dementors had joined the feeding frenzy.

Three experienced teachers were required to drive away the dementors successfully. And even so, Neville witnessed as Echo Bell lied motionless in the snow, eyes wide and unblinking to the sky, and gasping for breath. The only evidence she was still alive were the slight twitches she would give now and then. She was taken to the hospital immediately, trembling terribly and breathing very shallow now.

There weren't many who visited her bedside there, and she had apparently gave the nurses quite the scare, the memory of them too barely clinging in her mind. Echo was brought in the hospital then with a bad case of frostbite, pneumonia, was motionless and shallow breathing. No one knew for sure just how long she had been lying in the snow.

The dementors were an event that was widely talked about but was expected to be overshadowed by Harry Potter's dilemmas. That was what was hoped, but instead, it only worked against the poor girl. It is known that was Echo was referred to the hospital wing at Hogwarts after the dementors. She was almost kept back a year because of it.

There was a speech made about the dementors at dinner once—emphasizing the dangers of them, and then of Harry's and Echo's experience. Echo was looked on with pity after that, given hers was far worse than Harry's run-ins. Now, she was given more attention with others saying greetings to her in passing and quick looks, but she didn't like it and it bothered her. She would disappear somewhere in the castle if she was hassled by a group of students.

It was rumored that Echo almost lost her soul that winter, sucked out by the dark creatures. Some that were witnesses would swear that they watched a glowing light rise from her lips. That too, was never confirmed.

The young Hufflepuff provided quite the scare for the nurses, but one can only imagine the surprise and relief felt when she walked into class almost a month later. Oh, and the whispers that followed, of course.

Classes returned to normal and the daily grind fell back into place. Hushed murmurs dispersed at dinnertime and the professors were certain everything was fine. And everything was, aside for the blank stares in class that she would give now. Echo wasn't as talkative as before—in fact, she barely spoke at all. She barely responded to the taunts and teases she was given or if she was called, if she responded at all; she would remain unfazed as if a veil was placed over her, and she would act as if nothing never happened. Her hand didn't raise anymore in The Care for Magical Creatures class, and she appeared more scatterbrained than usual. Her eyes held a more vacant look than before and she spoke the most outrageous liners as always. But there was some sort of difference...

As far as anyone else in the school knew, Echo Bell was just even more an odd, yet unlucky girl that for once, who had been through a situation worse than Harry Potter.

She was the girl who was related to Looney Lovegood, an oddball, and was nowhere near as well known or important as Harry Potter. So not much was thought about her behavior, even if it has changed. But for the little fame she did receive that year, for some reason, she was looked on with sympathy trashier than bravery.

Echo had just been unconscious then with the dementors. She didn't have any recollection of the event, no mater what others thought of her. She just didn't think anything of it.

_~ O ~_

"She must have hit her head and it must've loosened a screw," some said aloud.

Others—mostly boys—would make crude remarks about what the dementors should have done to Echo, or what someone else _should_ have if they had found her helpless on the ground...

The girls didn't much care and quite ignored her so.

"That's not nice you know," Luna would interrupt aloud. "You, as well as the whole school I bet, know that she was attacked by dementors."

"Shut up, Looney Lovegood!" someone would jeer in a nasty tone.

"It's entirely ordinary for someone to change," Luna would defend. "An event like that would be traumatic, I would only suppose..."

This was Luna's fear, that her cousin would hear these rumors. She knew that Echo must have caught wind of them by now, but Luna didn't want her to hear them _clearly_. She knew how fragile her cousin had become.

Luna wasn't one to care about what others thought of her and was rarely angry, if ever. But seeing the way some would make faces and act as if they were fainting in her cousin's presence, encouraged Luna's face to contort into a scowl which in itself made them back off.

But she was a good cousin and friend. Luna would greet her cousin whenever she could and would ask Echo to join her to go see the creatures of the school, something that Luna wasn't very fond of, but would in the future. Echo's speech was minimal—a nod or a curt 'yes—and Luna tried to encourage her to speak more, constantly, all the more afraid that her cousin had become impaired besides being scared witless, something the nurses failed to fix. It has gotten better over time, though, luckily.

This is why Luna had a firm hand clasped in Echo's while making a way to the Quidditch field. There was a game today between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and none was going to let a little rain stop them from cheering for their house.

Luna adjusted the umbrella to shield her own shoulder. She tried to make small talk against the students that were hurrying past. She told her cousin of several students she accidentally almost set on fire in class as they walked side by side, and asked if anything interesting had happened to Echo lately.

Echo shook her head but then thought for a moment.

"Unexceptional as anyway.," she spoke quickly.

Up ahead, the Quidditch stands were almost filled already.

"I did run into someone when I was asleep in the library," Echo added softly.

Luna took this in. "You mean you met someone in a dream again?"

Echo shook her head. "I met him before—that boy who liked plants. He gave me quite a fright actually when he woke me up."

"Did you say anything?" Luna questioned as they approached the steps, the rain blowing in their faces now.

"No."

Luna didn't speak on the matter any longer. Echo followed her as she wove her way into the crowd until she found a good view. And when the teams came out, the crowds roared. Gryffindor Giants and Hufflepuff Heroes banners hung by their supporting house. Any inappropriate slogans were magically changed by the administrators with a flick from their wands. Hollers of team spirit roared from those with paint on their faces. All was well and cheerful and Echo was as quiet as ever with a tranquil expression.

During the opening cheer, Luna's hand had slipped on her umbrella, slick anyway from the rain, and it was carried away into the storm. Only the few around them paused to catch it disappearing into the dark clouds.

Echo looked up, her lips stormed a small "o" rather than a yell.

A tall boy next to then held up a piece of cardboard with Hideous Hufflepuffs painted in capital letters. He and the lot with him were all adorned in red and yellow—it wasn't hard to guess who they were rooting for.

The brute was yelling some obscenities, his way of cheering. The girls screamed and boys beat their chests, and when three quaffers scored in a row, they jumped for joy. The space here was minimal and the ground wet; when the boy came back down, he bumped into Echo. Something on his wrist scraped her.

"Hey watch it!" he ordered, losing his footing for a moment.

Echo merely looked at him and turned back to the field, stone-faced and silent.

The girl beside him murmured when the brute scoffed, "weirdo."

Luna caught and held the first's stare with a hard look of her own. She then turned to the tall boy beside her cousin.

"Statistics say that more injuries happen when it rains than broom-riding. So it's more likely for you to snap your neck slipping on the pavement then it is by broom."

He couldn't understand it, but he quickly lost his pride. Her wide eyes held his with such strength that he quickly felt uncomfortable.

"That would be very unfortunate," Luna spoke again, "wouldn't it?"

He looked down at her from the corner of his eyes. "What?"

Echo was still staring ahead and watching the game as if unknown to the confrontation. She watched as the two seekers of the teams chased the snitch into the storm clouds.

"That you'd snap your neck in the rain." Luna's tone remained calm as always, with a slight sense of wonder.

He saw her hand reach into her pocket, which is where she kept her wand. She kept it in precaution if anyone was to get violent, as much of Echo's taunting was, and also because it would have been too crowded to keep it behind her ear.

He swallowed.

There was a scream and the stadium stood. Everyone looked up seeing a dark object falling to the the field. It was registered as one of the seekers. For a moment, the game paused as the administrators stood, and before the Hufflepuff seeker hit the ground, was suspended in mid"air.

The rain beat down heavier. It took a while but soon everyone's attention was turned to the sky, seeing dark forms circling. It wasn't until one swooped down did panic break.

"Great! Now look what you freak's done! The boy shouted. "Your crazy ass brought the dementors here to finish you off!"

Echo flinched.

Panic spread and students squirmed to leave.

No more than a minute later, another body dropped from there sky, this one more like deadweight. It too was stopped by Albus Dumbledore chanting a spell.

The administrators tried to usher the panicking mob safely back to the castle, but most were already fleeing for their quarters. Luna grabbed for the hand of her cousin, seeing Echo was getting tripped and pushed by the crowd. By the time they arrived back, Echo was brandishing a bruise on her left side of her face.

_~ O ~_

The new batch of students—now second years—were getting along just fine, and besides the usual small complications of Hogwarts, everything was going fine. The students loved Professor Lupin as their new DADA teacher—in fact, they adored him. He was one of the best they've had and he cared so much about the students, excluding that incident with Harry and the bogart, of course. And Lupin was quickly gaining popularity, and Dumbledore was very pleased with this new choice in staff.

But as things weren't crazy and life-threatening, didn't mean everything was exactly back to normal.

Luna skipped down the empty hallway, humming. It was lunchtime and her stomach was announcing it. She was warming up to Hogwarts well, she thought, and despite the few who wanted to give her trouble for her butterbeer bottle cap necklace.

Luna came to a stop down the corridor, catching something white and out of place outside. She stopped skipping and retracted back to one of the wide open windows. The only one she could guess to have a head of almost white hair to be outside alone was her cousin.

Luna walked into the courtyard. It was empty since everyone was heading to lunch. "Echo, what are you doing missing lunch?"

She didn't get an answer.

Luna had heard of the run-in Echo had with the dementors the day it happened. Since she wasn't able to go to Hogsmeade yet, Luna had rushed to her cousin's side when she returned. She was in one piece and unharmed, Luna was relieved, but it was days later she realized that Echo had been hurt in a way eyes couldn't see. The first clues were her prolonged silence and alarming decrease in energy and speech.

Luna walked around to where she could see the face of her cousin. Echo's lips were lightly parted and she only looked to her cousin when her name was called again.

"You know it's lunchtime don't you? You don't look right, like you haven't washed your hair in weeks now."

Echo smoothed down her hair which Luna asked what previous activity had messed it up. Again she didn't get an answer. All was said was a low "I forgot" about attending lunch. To be honest though, Echo wasn't very hungry; she knew Luna would insist anyhow.

Echo forgot a lot lately.

The blonde reached for her older cousin's hand and smiled when Echo's tired eyes looked up to hers. Luna, slowly at first, pulled her back into the castle and led her to The Great Hall.

"I'm looking forward to a tuna sandwich, how about you?" Luna smiled.

Again, Luna was met with silence. That was something that quietly unnerved her. Her cousin had been one of the most outspoken, expressive people she knew, and now it was like everything had been turned off, like _she_ had been turned off. The day Luna saw her lying, eyes open, in that hospital bed, she knew her cousin had gone through a traumatic experience and Luna knew that every experience to trauma was unique, but she never expected this. Echo was had turned into a doll. And Luna feared, as she led her mute cousin to The Great Hall, Luna feared with eyes wide in a feeling that was nowhere near joyful, that Echo had become just as her name was—an echo.

She wasn't the first to notice the change. No; in the beginning, Echo had gotten many strange looks. In class, students would watch her, turn around in their seats to have a quick glance at her, as if to make sure she was even there. One time she had apparently been sitting so still, Susan Bones had thought her to be petrified and called her name, sticking out a finger to feel her cheek to see if it was frozen, and nearly hitting the ceiling when Echo turned to her call. Susan had covered it up by asking how Echo got the long scar across her cheek.

For a short while, Echo had been the talk of the school, of the girl who had been attacked by five dementors at once. But the funny thing about it—or odd—was that for once, Echo didn't show any thought towards it. She hardly shown any emotion now. She was either completely silent, or she seemed dazed and blurted things that had nothing to do with the current conversation. Even at the lunch table that afternoon, she had made a chicken sandwich of cranberry and mustard. She had blurted a fact about how powerful unicorn blood was when the topic had been Quidditch and then was confused by the quizzing looks.

Unknown to the school, she was unraveling. The string in her mind had been pulled and it was slowly becoming undone. The only one who seemed to notice most was Professor Lupin.

_~ O ~_

Once, Echo went missing. It wasn't noticed right away and by the end of lunch the second day, Pomona Sprout had converged with McGonagall that she hasn't seen the student for going on three days now. At first, the professor thought it no big deal and suggested that she was perhaps sent to the hospital wing or was in in-school detention. After Sprout reported that she had found neither true is when she became worried. That was the first time the professors executed extra security throughout the castle. They feared the worst—that Echo had ran into a death, drowned in the lake, or had wondered into the Dark Forest. All in her quarters didn't do much about it, and the incident had actually been kept quiet amongst the school—all except for Hannah Abbot. She had overheard the girls who shared the room with Echo as she was passing on her way to her bed. Since she knew Luna was her cousin and but he few times she converged with Echo, she guessed they were pretty close and told her.

No one in the school was more worried than Luna that week.

There was literally no signs of Echo for days and no one had seen her come back to the Hufflepuff common room. Hannah spoke with Susan Bones and a few others about their missing housemate but no one had seen hair or tail of her since a day she was teased in Charms class. Echo wasn't very good at Chamrs and some began thinking the worst, especially Luna.

She didn't show much emotion to Hannah—no, she just didn't say much. When Hannah Abbott came up to Luna one night, Luna's protuberant eyes widened even more and her breath left her. A panicked look came across the Ravenclaw, opposite of her Hufflepuff cousin's, and she couldn't say a word even when Hannah tried prying words from her. Luna was very worried—she knew that her cousin could take care of herself, but still, she needed guidance. It was the charms and jinxes treated on her in the hospital that messed her up more than the dementors attack. And Luna feared that Echo may have wondered too far into The Dark Forest or trapped somewhere in the castle since she liked to wonder both places.

The typical thing would be to go alert the authorities, but Luna was never one to follow typical regulations, and thought it best to send out an owl. If her cousin _was_ doing fine, she would respond; if not, she's really be in trouble. So when Luna was sure she wouldn't be missed, she snuck out to the owlery when she knew Hagrid wouldn't be there and note in her robe pocket, picked out an owl.

There were more owls than she expected. There seemed to be at least one of every breed perched on all sides of the large owlery. If one was not flapping its wings, it was staring at her with large eyes.

Luna walked down, meeting the eye of each owl. There were large dark ones and horned ones asleep. There seemed to be a majority of brown owls and a few white ones, and one that for the whole time watched her with its head cocked to the side.

"Nope. No, no, nope," she mumbled aloud.

None of the birds appeared to be able to know where to take the note if she were to hand it. Besides, this was secret and she didn't need the bird fly to an administrator and rat her out. Luna was already breaking several rules.

Eventually, she did find an owl—a small black one that seemed to know her. And after giving her written letter and after telling it where to meet Luna for the answer, Luna let it lose. She didn't get a response until dinner that night. It was written on the back of Luna's original letter and she rushed to read it. The letter was only 40 words:

_I don't want to [come back].  
__But I suppose I will soon.  
__There isn't much light here and a few spiders and so many birds.  
__I'll come back after finding either a jobberknoll or niffler to prove they're real. Always wanted to see one._

Luna had written a long letter demanding her cousin to show herself and how worried everyone was and this short response was the only she got. Luna immediately set to writing a response letter right there at the dinner table. No one in her house questioned it.

One last letter converged between them before Luna lost contact with her. For the third and fourth and fifth letter sent, the small black owl came back with parchment in its beak. Luna had been sending instructions on how to get back and when the letters stopped, she rush to tell the authorities, the first being the ghost Professor Cuthbert Binns.

By the time Echo was found, Hagrid and his boarhound, Fang, had found her, dirty, starved, and seeming asleep wrapped in a spider's silk. When they unwrapped her there was a rock in her hand and she didn't wake until late that night. Hagrid was caught off guard when Echo suddenly awoke with a piercing scream. She didn't rejoin her classes for a full week after a good scolding by both her head house and parents via howler. Luna made a note to thank Hannah Abbott next time she saw her.


	5. Venus - love, beauty, art

_**[Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **]**_

* * *

**_**Neptune**_**

**_Venus_**_ Love, beauty, art_

* * *

_"I'm only honest when it rains  
If I time it right, the thunder breaks.  
__When I open my mouth, I want to tell you but I don't know how."_

Lupin stepped down from the griffin statue leading to Dumbledore's office. He paused for a moment, letting the statue set back in place but a hand was over his mouth. It slowly slid down until it fell at his side. He had just finished reporting to the headmaster about the students, the curriculum, updates on any news about the school and the dementors, and of course, Harry.

Harry. Of course Harry.

_"Would you keep your eye on Harry, professor? He seems to be getting very distracted lately.."_

Lupin craned his neck back, letting out a sigh. His fingers automatically reached for his jacket pocket and the pack he was so used of having there, but was empty now due to his refrain.

_There wasn't just one Harry at the school, and after Lupin asked for clarity—even though he needn't it—Dumbledore explained it was Potter._

Lupin set off down the hallway. Students were gathered amongst friends and chatting, given it was this round's free class. He walked without running into any running children, an eye out for mischief or a mop of messy dark hair in particular.

_"The dementors, sir. What about them? They've caused quite a bit of trouble already. What about the children who were harmed by them—like Miss Echo Bell in Hufflepuff?"_

_"…You're asking me this like she isn't in the care of the medical professions here..."_

_"She hasn't been for a long time now. So long, I'm beginning to question her wellbeing…"_

Dumbledore had looked rather dumbfounded after that. After all this time, he had thought the girl who had been attacked by five dementors would have stayed in the medical's care as long as she needed, much longer than she had. But not every incident is reported—filed away, yes; but not reported—not everyone got special treatment, like Potter. Dumbledore couldn't check up on so many hospital reviews every month. But it was too late now, it was far too late.

Lupin broke up a trio of Hufflepuff girls belittling a Ravenclaw first year.

_Look for a head of messy dark hair—or snowy blonde, __Dumbledore had said._

Two boys in robes ran past. Lupin almost missed it if he hadn't been watching the children so closely. He slowed down, his steps shuffling before walking up to the pair of girls sitting on a ledge of an open window. Both were smiling but faded when he called for attention and they looked up from the upturned magazine they were sharing.

"Miss Bell," Lupin greeted, then turned to the other who had several quills in her hair. "Miss Lovegood," he nodded.

"Good afternoon Professor Lupin." Luna was the one to answer. Her brows knitted together a moment. "Are you hear because of the knarls that broke free earlier, because I'm sure there is no one hear appetizing enough."

Lupin paused. "No…I didn't know they escaped—-"

"Upturned, actually."

"Upturned," he corrected. "But I'll make sure to report it. …I'm actually wanted to speak with you, Miss Bell."

Echo looked back with the blank look she held even before he came up. She just blinked.

"Uh, have you been having any memory trouble recently—-" he began, until being interrupted by Luna.

"Quite often. Just today, I had to remind her to finish the vegetables she forgot on her plate."

Echo turned to her cousin beside her and back to the professor.

Lupin held his tongue from saying anything regretful. He forced a "thank you, Miss Lovegood," to which she smiled to, and turned to the silent one. He continued: "Have you been having trouble remembering at all besides that? Difficulty concentrating? ….does your head ever feel fuzzy or scatterbrained or any increase in headaches?"

Echo didn't answer right away, and when she did, it was a simple "yes" to each question until the one about being scatterbrained. She turned to Luna as she spoke up again:

"Isn't that typical? Because that's just Echo's usual way of being," Luna answered about the other being scatterbrained.

Lupin took this in. "Have you grown _more_ afraid of anything at all? Any feelings of uneasiness and such?"

Again, there was a pause as if Echo was searching for the words to say. This time her answer was a nod of her head.

Lupin slid his hands in his pockets. "I think I know what your ailment is." He didn't miss the tiny look of hope in Luna's eyes. "I want you to stay after my class tomorrow," he held up a finger as if to make sure she was paying attention. "We will discuss it then."

Still, Echo did nothing—not an upturn twitch of her lips or a look in her eyes—nothing but blink.

_~ O ~_

The Fat Lady had been complicated at times—this is spoken by many Gryffindors who were too impatient; the others who took the time to list to her "singing" had no trouble—but this time was definitely the worse. Her painting was ripped though she herself was not there. This had sent all of Gryffindor into a periodic panic to call Dumbledore and Filch to investigate. The Fat Lady was found in another painting on the opposite wall and hiding behind a hippopotamus.

"It's _him_, headmaster. He's here, somewhere in the castle—Sirius Black!" she had shrieked.

Now, all of Gryffindor house—as surprising as it seemed—was camping out somewhere on the fifth floor of Hogwarts. In sleeping bags. Almost the second week in a row so far. Most of them obviously didn't take to it fondly, and those who did at first, the excitement had quickly faded after that third night waking up with knots in their backs. It was an interesting experience, actually, _sleeping under the stars_ as Dumbledore had put it the first night since the ceiling was enchanted to look like deep space. But by now, it was becoming an inconvenience. Though there were instructors and Filch who were assigned shifts to watch the students and prowl the hallways, it didn't seem to solve anything—it didn't seem like anything was the matter, is all. Besides, what were a few scratches to a painting supposed to prove? There were some who owned cats, after all; who's to say it wasn't one of those that had done it, like a black cat perhaps?

Ron still held a grudge over Hermione, believing her cat was behind the disappearance of Scabbers, and the rest of Gryffindor was either asleep or the lightening and thunder kept them awake as well. Some, like Hermione, were studying for an upcoming quiz or were playing with zonkers. Then there were some who wee listening to the rain pelt the glass—Neville was one of them. All one and a half large rooms on the fifth floor were reserved for Gryffindor house to sleep for the time being until they fixed The Fat Lady's portrait. Until then and currently for this room, Professor Lupin was on guard but he hasn't been seen on the fifth floor for some time...

It was probably around midnight, guessing by the height of the moon through the tall window. And the trail of raindrops was rather soothing reflecting off the tall window, and at a certain angle, it could look like teardrops.

Next to Neville, Percy Weasley was fast asleep and snoring loudly, and earlier Harry had been talking with some older boy and giggling like a little school girl, but it was Neville's own thoughts that were keeping him awake. For some reason he couldn't sleep—he was worrying again. Worrying about everything, about passing his classes, about how sick Trevor had gotten, how Snape had pointed him out in class and made him look bad again and wanting to run out the room, about how he didn't even finish his homework…

Neville had been lying still and on his back for probably a long time now with his fingers knotted on his stomach. He had stayed awake listening, hearing everything in the room. He heard how a girl snuck in a textbook and was studying under a lumos charm, of a few boys discussing Quidditch, Dean trying to ignore everyone and get some sleep, of Harry's overzealous giggling, of Justin Finch-Fletchey scolding a younger year, and still more.

That had been hours earlier, and Neville was still lost in his own thoughts so far that he didn't hear the padding of foreign bare feet across the floor. Or even when it's owner stopped and squatted right in front of him, watching. He was just too deep in thought.

The room remained quiet otherwise, most of its occupants asleep now.

"Starlight, star bright..."

Neville missed hitting his forehead when he bolted upright, but just by a hair.

He grabbed at his chest. "Echo!"

She blinked behind her hair, her squatting position unchanged.

Neville's eyes squinted. "Echo..?" His brows then knotted together before arching high. "Echo! How-how'd you—-?!"

He cut off seeing her finger raise to her lips and hearing Percy turn in his sleep.

Echo smiled a tiny bit. "Bored?"

Neville was lost for words and just continued staring at the girl squatting with hands on her knees. How did she even get in here? Surely the door had been bolted so that not even a fly could get in.

He watched Echo stand. Her white nightgown reached to her ankles and bright hair looked to be freshly combed, still hiding her eyes per usual. And she held out a hand.

"There's something I want to show you."

For a long moment, Neville stared up at her. Many thoughts ran through his young mind, the most profound being just how did she get here? Or was this even her?

"Move your hair," he ordered.

Her hand fell and she frowned, but did as she was told after a hesitation. Echo lifted her front bangs, looking down at him with a blank stare. But outlined by the charmed planets and galaxies, her eyes shone all on their own and she looked different altogether. And he knew it was her. He didn't know why he even thought otherwise.

His mind more at ease that she wasn't some impostor, he stood, shivering at the cold floor. He bent back down to wrap his blanket around himself. Echo was smiling when he looked back at her. And without another word, grabbed his hand and pulled him, running toward the door. Little did they know, Hermione had woken from a dream. The brunette rubbed her eyes in shock hearing both's feet padding along the stone floor.

Echo pulled out her wand. "Don't stop running."

Neville looked at her bewildered and readied himself to stop when he saw her flick her arm and they were suddenly outside the room, running down a hallway.

And back inside, Hermione's jaw dropped.

Neville realized where they were upon seeing many snoring portraits lining great walls.

Echo stopped suddenly and if it weren't for her still holding his hand in a tight grip, Neville would have toppled over the edge of the floor where a staircase should be. He didn't know if she even noticed the look of panic and close death he just experienced but she was steadily looking ahead. He wondered if she was still in her right mind and was regretting coming with her when he realized she was watching the staircase. It neared closer and Echo's hold didn't loosen so he tightened his hold on his blanket around him. When the staircase secured in place, Neville kept up this time when she bolted up the steps. Echo paused only a few times when he tripped.

When they reached the top, Echo had to pull him back when he didn't stop, as Neville was stepping off to the next floor and she stayed at the top.

"Not here," she explained simply.

They climbed two more flights of stairs before she raised her arm, pointing to where he guessed they were to get off the now-moving staircase.

"I've never been up here before," he mused.

Neville glanced at her at his side. Echo was still looking ahead with no expression. She didn't respond.

"I don't think anyone's allowed up here…" Neville muttered, more to himself.

Her answer was another yank of his arm as she sped down the hallway, flicking her wand and mumbling a charm to create a source of light. From it, Neville could see more sleeping portraits. They were on every wall they turned passed. Some stirred from the lumos charm, others spoke to Echo as they passed, as if they knew her. Neville was almost sure no one had been up here at all, that no one should.

"How do they know you?" he asked, panting.

"They're quite lovely," she answered, a slight smile in her tone. "I think they'd be fond of you; they're good company."

As they continued running past, there were a few "shouldn't you be in bed, Miss Bell?" Echo just waved back. Neville's blanket billowed behind them and their feet were the only audible sounds in the castle's sixth floor halls.

"Right here," she pants, coming to a stop Neville was more than happy to oblige. They were still in a hallway, but Neville could tell there was a light up ahead.

She waited patiently for him to catch his breath, her breathing hard herself.

When he had, finally, he questioned her—and rather harshly—why he was up here? Hair now windblown, he saw her eyes cast down and she shuffled. He knew that ever since the incident at Hogsmeade, she hadn't quite been herself. That thought planted both suspicion and worry in his mind.

Echo fingered her nightgown. It was covered in patterns of small giraffes.

"I found this place last year. I…I thought you'd might like it," she explained in a low mumble, driving a heel into the floor. "No one knows about this except you…I'm gonna tell Luna tomorrow..."

Neville blinked. "You could get in big trouble you know! I don't think anyone's been up here in ages. It looks ancient..." He looked at the dwindling number of portraits and earned a scoff from one. "You're lucky I won't tell on you," Neville turned to leave. "We can't be up here." He tugged on her hand to walk out but she stayed put.

"No one knows about this except you," she repeated, still looking to the floor, hair in her eyes. "No one comes up here. I checked."

Neville stared at her. He was more than ready to leave, and _her _for that matter—he was more than capable.

"No, Echo," he stopped, jerking her forward with him. "We aren't even…why'd you even go up here? We'd get in really big trouble!"

She looked back to see worry lines shape his face. He was probable right, she supposed.

"Why'd you bring me up here?"

A portrait, a jolly old man with a baritone voice intervened: "Aw c'mon, little guy. Just listen why don'tcha?"

She looked down, her bangs now cast completely in front of her face. "I was just doing what Professor Lupin suggested…"

Neville was confused.

Echo took in a breath. "To find something that puts your mind at ease; to do something constructive that you like," she repeated the same words the teacher had spoken to her since going to him for recovery therapeutic sessions. Echo then added in a more hushed tone, "he said it would help…"

The lines on Neville's face relaxed. Oh, he knew now.

"...Oh…"

How was he supposed to come back from that?

Echo wouldn't look at him and knew she had closed up again. The awkward silence was filled with Neville trying to come up with a way to redeem himself.

"I… I-I'm… I didn't mean… Echo, I-I—-"

"Psst!" The baritone man in the painting called again. Several portraits down the way were also whispering amongst each other. "You two better get," he advised. "Someone's coming—and I think it's Filch!"

The fear in Neville's eyes were immediate. He looked to Echo for guidance on a way out. She showed no signs of responding.

Neville's head whipped this way and that, heart already hammering in his chest.

"Psst!" The man in the portrait hissed again. "That way!" He pointed behind them, "and take a right!"

Neville nodded and did as he was advised, grabbing for Echo's wrist and clearing the long hallway just as a cat and a bony man carrying a lantern entered the hall.

Neither Neville nor Echo knew where they were headed to and it was too dark to see and all there were was hallway, leaving nowhere to hide. Neville's heart thundered in his little chest and Echo panted behind him. They ran and ran and their feet were the only sounds bouncing off the tight walls—the wide hall closing in the further they ran, as if the walls were narrowing. There was no light, not even Filch's light could reach them if he saw them—if he was even following them.

The thought dawned on Neville all too late and he slowed down. _Was_ Filch even following them—did he even _see_ them?

This thought made his feet slow, turn back around.

If Filch _did_ find them—what if he didn't _ever_ find them?!

Neville's head fell. Once again he got stuck in some whacky situation. Here he was, probably lost in the school, stuck with and running with some weird girl—and why was he still holding on to her? He knew just like everyone that she had a screw loose in the head, that she was loopy and no one could guess what would come out of her mouth next. Most of it was nonsense anyway, random babble that had nothing to do with current subjects. She caused awkward silences and gave you an uncomfortable shiver when you knew she was staring at you, if she was staring at you. Just like her odd behavior, it was also a known fact about Echo's run-in with the dementors. It was still a running gossip-debate on whether she really did get her soul sucked out that day or not. This was due to how reserved and untalkative she had suddenly become.

Neville had heard the stories—of how she would be found randomly wondering the hallways and would have to be escorted by a house prefect; how she sometimes would start writing with the wrong side of the quill; how she'd eats meals worth in desserts and never touch her vegetables—well, that last one was pretty typical among students.

Echo was had always been very knowledgable, Neville knew. He had come to her for research every time he was assigned an essay or report, especially involving creatures and animals. But still, she was odd and many spoke about her—still, it was almost like she had completely changed.

Who was this silent one, and what happened to the energetic girl who fawned over even the ugliest magical creature?

A chuckle broke him from his thoughts.

_Who did she think she was? And this wasn't good being alone here. She could do things to him here in the dark and he wouldn't be found for months afterward!_

Neville froze, mind already going a mile a minute. He slowly looked behind him to the girl still holding his sleeve, hoping he could at least glimpse her features and see she was still somewhat sane.

Echo didn't look up at him as her hand slid to cup his. "Your hands 're cold," is all she said, and Neville could feel the different in body temperature.

"Yeah, well it's cold up here…" He pulled his blanket closer around his shoulders. "You aren't cold?"

She shook her head even though he couldn't see it. He didn't comment about it.

Their feet patted against the stone floor. The faint sound of heavy rain pelting the castle was the only other sounds.

The hallway they had turned down felt like it could go on forever. It was pitch black around them and the walls couldn't be seen. Neville focused on the small opening of light far in front of them which was the other hallway with the portraits they had passed earlier. Moonlight was streaming in through the darkness.

The only sounds in here were their bare footsteps. Well, at least they couldn't hear Filch anymore. And they walked in silence and darkness, Neville being the guide for once with his hand feeling for purchase along the wall, jumping every so often at something that seems out of the ordinary or from a funny feeling frame.. The silence seemed to stretch and the light ahead nearing ever slowly. The silence was broken by Echo, asking:

"Why are you so scared of Professor Snape?"

Neville's steps faltered. "Who told you that?!" he panicked internally.

"…But you like Lupin, right?" she added.

Neville hesitated to open his mouth and answer, and when he did, was interrupted again:

"You don't seem as pale anymore when I see you coming from Potions class ever since Lupin started teaching. Don't worry; I like him too. It was him to why I'm up here, you know—why I brought you here. He advised me to."

This was the most he'd ever heard of her speaking and heard with his own ears ever since that Hogsmeade. While yes, Neville avoided her in the past because of what people were saying about her, but he still talks to her—even more today because he was caring less about what others said, something he was even surprised himself to think. But he wasn't going to speak as of right now in case she closed up again.

They were almost out of the dark hall. Neville wondered just how much they had ran.

"He gave me lots of chocolate," Echo informed as they emerged and took a right down the moonlit hallway. "Said for me to find something that would be stimulating as well as productive. That's what I was up here for. I think I found something like it and that's why..."

"Uh huh," is what he said to her. He was too occupied looking down the halls to avoid running into Filch and be reported.

He began scurrying down the way, pulling Echo in tow. Neville ignored the portraits calling out to him, muttering something about a paint room he didn't hear—he guessed they must be speaking to Echo, since she came up here often. When they got to the doorway where the staircases were, he peeked out his head to make sure it was clear before hurrying down the stairs before they got in trouble. Echo was still holding on to him.

Neville looked at the girl grabbing on his sleeve. Though he wasn't holding her hand any more, she had a firm grip on his sleeve. She still had her face down and in the dim light, her hair casted a deep shadow above her nose.

"I'm not as dim as they say I am, you know," Echo spoke suddenly as they waited for the staircase to line up with a floor. "I know what they say and why you don't like me; why you didn't want to come anyway, Neville. And I don't blame you. Most of them are dreadful and shameful, and Luna doesn't think I know either. My head does get really fuzzy and I forget stuff a lot now but I don't mean to. I'm trying to get better though—that's why I wanted to come up here, and it was easier to go get you because Luna's up in the Ravenclaw tower. I wanted to show you what I found up here, but it's not important." She then lowered her head even more and whispered, more to herself, "not important."

Neville went silent and suddenly began feeling guilty. He had been avoiding her ever since he met her in the hospital first year. She had been quite loud, and had too much energy for him. He knew what it was like to not be taken seriously, to be ridiculed and ignored—heck, it happened to him all the time. He had few friends, was bullied by his teacher, and was just plain unlucky. He knew all too well. But now, as he listened to her words, he realized, as he heard her whisper again something she probably didn't mean for him to hear:

"...I'm trying…"

There was silence again between them—there was always a lot of that, but this one was the first that wasn't awkward, that broke only by a sniff from Echo. He asked before he could stop himself: "So that's why you wanted me up here…?"

He was met by silence, probably her closing up again, returning mute.

"Would it help you feel better if you showed me what was up here that you wanted to?" he asked. They were coming closer to the direction of The Great Hall, wandering to the bottom of the ground floor of Hogwarts, but wasn't too late to turn around.

"Isn't important," she mumbled.

They stepped off the room of staircases. She was still holding tightly to his pajama sleeve. Neville looked at the girl trailing behind him. "It's not too late to turn back." He forced a small half-smile.

"…'sn't important…"

* * *

**_A/N: _**_**I hope you all like this chapter. ****Will you all please tell me if I'm doing ok so far or not, please.**_


	6. Mars I - action

**_I just finished my finals so chapters should hopefully start coming out quicker if reviews come. Thank you to those who have so far._**

**_[Disclaimer:_ **Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Mars_** _Action_

* * *

_"I'm only honest when it rains,  
An open book with a torn out page  
And my ink's run out, I want to love you but I don't know how."_

**Fourth Year**

When it was announced that Professor Lupin was resigning, it was not received well with the students. Some were devastated even—Lord knew Harry was. Hermione had looked over at him during the announcement after Lupin left. They both had been hoping for the best, but when Harry told her the news that morning, she knew it was only a matter of time.

Neither nor Dumbledore gave any indication of their little adventure to save Buckbeak and the time turner necklace.

Even across the table Hermione could tell how tense and heartbroken Harry was even though there wasn't a tear in his eye. His jaw was tight and he was swallowing a lot, constantly clearing his throat. He had hoped that, even though Sirius would be off with Buckbeak, he had imagined how great it would be to have _someone_ here, how relieving it would be after all that has happened. How relieving to have _someone _close to family, _finally_.

It was all snatched away in one night.

And the hardest part was that no one knew.

Hermione had tried to reassure him that night, she and Ron had, tried to distract him some kind of way besides using words—wizards chess, gossip, zonkers, food. None of it worked and Harry went to bed early that night. But who could blame him? He sulked for the remaining few days at Hogwarts, barely leaving his room other than for food, restroom, and classes. In his free time, he just stared at his map all day. Hermione and Ron tried to get him out each day, doing their best to cheer him up to remind him that all was fine—Hermione recalled when Ron wasn't around and that now everyone was safe, at least. But though Harry wasn't back to normal and happy, he did feel better by the time a Firebolt came in the mail one morning. It was almost like a piece of the final reassurance he needed, and had the time of his life going for a ride on it before summer began.

Now, school was over and everyone was home now. Ron Weasley was home with his brothers and sister; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas departed at the station; Katie Bell, Oliver Wood, and all others too. Hermione Granger must have went back to the Muggle world, and Harry Potter wherever he went. Neville wouldn't know anyway; it's not like he really talked to them much except when necessary. Kinda ironic really, after everything that had happen—he thought that he would have gotten more confidence to even try to speak up and talk to them by now, but he didn't. Not by a long shot.

And as Neville sat next to his grandmother, he supposed that he never would. He and his grandmother were currently at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for another visit and he was rubbing his hands nervously. Constantly, his eyes would dart around, hoping to not to catch sight of someone he knew or a sickening injury.

"Smile. Stop looking so upset," Augusta Longbottom scolded. "And sit up straight; look more proper. It's gloomy enough here."

Neville straightened his posture as he was told. He watched a woman bleeding from a bubbling green gash in her arm being wheeled to another room and felt his food rising up his stomach.

There was a sound of a bell somewhere to signal and his grandmother immediately stood.

"Come," she ordered.

He needn't be told instructions by now. By this time, this—these visits—it were like routine now. Passing through the muggle building to get here, he could handle; seeing the patients, some wheeled in with blood, others with outrageous injuries, he could stomach. He knew every floor and memorized the doctors and nurses by now. Neville knew the Mungo's Hospital all too well. But what he couldn't handle—what he could never handle was when his grandmother guided him in front of her to the third floor and to the beds with the frail, glassy-eyed couple who never left their beds.

"Well," Augusta ordered, giving him a jolted push to the shoulder, "say something!"

In her push Neville stumbled and whirled. He turned forward, curling his fingers around the cold metal side bars of the bed, and found his voice. "H…Hi Mother…"

The woman on the bed frowned. She looked at him almost angrily and Neville wanted to take a step back but knew his grandmother, Augusta, would stop him.

"Who are you? I don't…don't have a son!"

Neville's grip tightened. His lip trembled; he hadn't even spoken to his father yet and he already wanted to leave.

Augusta stepped up next to him. She smoothed down the stray hairs from Alice Longbottom's head that the doctors continued not caring for. "Yes you do, hun. This is Neville. Your boy." Augusta cooed.

The frail woman—his mother—turned her frown back to him. "No I don't." The look in her eyes were beginning to turn to panic.

With an addressed look from his grandmother, Neville forced a smile.

Augusta rummaged in her handbag and pulled out a hair brush. She began brushing her daughter-in-law's hair. It belonged to Alice, and Augusta kept in untouched and safe back home, only for her daughter-in-law to use. "Yes you do, hun. His name is Neville and your name is Alice, darling. I'm your mother-in-law, remember?"

"Alice…" she tasted the name. "Neville…?" Her brows twisted.

"Yes, and he's in his fourth year. At Hogwarts. Tell them about your marks, dear."

Neville stammered.

"Your marks, dear. …Tell us; how're you doing in Astronomy class?"

Neville mumbled something.

Augusta gave him a warning glare as she continued brushing Alice's hair. "And how are you doing in Potions and Charms, Neville?"

Again, he mumbled something about "didn't want to."

"Speak up, boy. We can't hear you."

"It's f-fine." His voice remained low.

"Tell your parents what you told me at home," Augusta ordered, a more edge to her voice.

"I'm failing it," he corrected feebly.

"And what about Transfiguration," Augusta sighed.

"I don't like that stupid-figuration class," he breathed.

"Speak up, Neville!"

"I'm failing that too."

His grandmother just sighed and continued brushing Alice's hair, leaving a silence in the air. He had told her about how he was literally afraid of his potions teacher, and how he just couldn't get the Transfigurations right, and Augusta had just brushed it off.

Neville eyes focussed on a random scratch on the floor. "I'm passing Herbology and my electives though—-"

Especially The Care of Magical Creatures for the passed year, is what he was also going to add when his grandmother interrupted.

"Those classes don't really matter, dear. You know that," Augusta cut him down. She merely sighed and added, "You have to work better, Neville." She said something to his mother before ordering to bring his father into the conversation, who was in the next bed, silently watching them.

Visits to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had been a routine thing all his life, but Neville didn't mind it. He just didn't like being forced. His grandmother always brought him here to learn to be grateful for the sacrifices his parents did for him. But to him, all he saw were weak, frail people who he guessed used to be his parents, who couldn't remember their own names. What he saw made him nervous and a little scared; what he saw was something he'd rather not. He wished he could make them better. These two adults—his parents—were those his grandmother spoke of so much in her stories and praised. These two, shells of who they were used to be much livelier than they were…And for some reasons struck a hint of familiarity.

They were shells, echoes of who they once were.

A part of him wondered, as he watched them, a part of him pictured the possibility of Echo Bell taking their place in the perhaps future. He hoped that wouldn't. Neville remembered when she was more lively and happy, and wouldn't let that happen if he could.

Then his mother screamed in hysterics, shaking the bed in another mad fit.

_~ O ~_

"Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary tournament: The Triward Tournaments!"

That's what was spoken at dinner three weeks ago. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute were the two other neighboring wizard schools who were chosen to participate this year. Neville's heard of them just like anyone had. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was a school in France who had nice rumps on many of the females, who this year were to represent. Durmstrang this year was all male and made quite an opening ceremony which was very entertaining though, Neville had to agree and had been looking forward to seeing it since he had not been able to go to the Quidditch Cup with the rest of them. His grandmother didn't believe it was worth the money and took him to St Mungo's instead, and that visiting his insane parents were more important. So while the rest of his peers were gushing over the Quidditch Cup and the Death Eaters that disturbed it, Neville was left to fawn over Ron's action figure of Viktor Krum, who was what he was really excited to see that evening. Neville was very jealous and would lean against a wall or sit and indulged more in a herbology textbook or some other distraction rather than include in the Quidditch conversations. He wouldn't have anything to contribute anyway.

But all at Hogwarts had been going normally well, nothing abnormal so far. So when he caught sight of abnormally white blonde hair out in the crowd, he had to do a double-take.

Echo was walking down the hall, head down and hair in her eyes as always. A textbook and magazine was held to her chest and her robe contrasted with her hair greatly, per usual. She seemed to be mumbling to herself and as she passed, still not looking up, and Neville jumped to his feet and called her almost instantly.

He was with Ron and Seamus and Harry, and Neville's jump caused their chatter to pause and see the blonde.

Echo merely stopped in her tracks and didn't look up from the floor.

The tiny curl of Neville's lips died when she didn't look to him and Neville remembered the last time he saw her was last year, which was two days after that night on the sixth floor. He couldn't understand why he had so quickly jumped to his feet right now anyway. Echo stood still for a few moments before hurrying around him and down the hall, soon blending in with fellow students and Neville just looked away in embarrassment.

"What you doing talking to her for?" Ron blurted.

Echo was the snow white weirdo and Neville knew why Ron had asked.

Neville shook his head, not able to come up with an answer. The confusion on his face must have been evident because he was given a friendly nudge by Harry and for the rest of the free period, Neville acted like he had gotten back in the conversation.

_~ O ~_

Draco Malfoy was a boy with a tongue that didn't seem to know when to hold itself. He spoke badly about anything and everyone who wasn't deemed satisfying or worthy in his spoiled eyes. He liked to start fights too, particularly with a boy wearing glasses and bright green eyes and a strange scar across his forehead. There always seemed to be a permanent scowl or smirk adorning Draco's face, Echo notices, watching the way he stood with pride and answered Snape's question.

But in all honesty, she didn't much care for the blonde boy. Neither in the way of how some Slytherin girls would swoon for him—or those not Slytherin, for that matter—or praise him whenever he needed it to fuel his ego, which was quite often.

Draco makes fun of her and her cousin sometimes, many of his words having to do with his belief that "those dementors unscrewed more than her head." Luna made sure to talk over him so Echo wouldn't hear, but she did. And in Echo's mind, there was no need to try and argue with him.

Needless to say, she didn't care much about Draco Malfoy.

Echo flips through her book as Snape awards points to Slytherin for Draco's answer and she doesn't look up purposely so she doesn't catch Draco's shit-eating smirk. His height had increased but his forehead and smirk had definitely not changed.

Draco seemed to like Snape the most.

Echo knew that smirk would be directed to the entire class but mostly to Potter if he was here. Potter always sat next to Miss Granger when she had classes with Gryffindor—Echo remembers her name since it was the first called during sorting first year—she didn't know how she remembered it though. Draco was always in some sort of self-induced competition against Potter and Echo would usually catch Harry rolling his eyes the other way. .

...Eyes, his large, bright, forest green eyes.

Potter had pretty eyes, like jewels.

He always sat near Granger in his class.

Hermione was a very pretty girl.

Echo was jealous.

She brushed her bangs aside out of her view and marks a passage in the book with her finger, dipping her quill and readying to take notes.

Echo had tried to smile at Granger before, but she thinks it came out more as a sort of grimace; she had tried to talk to her, once, but the brunette had merely grimaced back, giving Echo a look as if there was something wrong with her—as if Hermione was beyond better than she ever could be. Once was enough times for trying.

Echo had been told that she should be more social, and that time was enough for trying.

There is a group of students whispering somewhere behind her but she doesn't care for it much. Echo didn't want to know if they were talking about her or wait to see what it was or that rumors about her were starting already, and stands up with her books in hand as class ends. She's one of the first out the door, quickly blending into the sea of students.

In the beginning, she had constantly been compared to Harry for some reason she couldn't understand, just because they both encountered dementors up close. She didn't like remembering the dark incident even though it has mostly faded from memory. Echo wasn't fond of being known as something like, "that odd girl who had encountered several dementors," or "the one who went crazy from many dementors rather than one dementor and fainted, like Potter."

Funny enough, he was far from innocent as far as Echo could tell, Harry was. Echo had her suspicions about him—rather, and she had seen him with a girl with long caramel waves one time. It had been before the swimming competition for the Triward Competition as she passed a dark corridor. She had seen them kiss. The hallway had been empty so Echo was certain that whatever it was, was secret. But either way, Echo was sure they hadn't seen her. No one really sees her. This did raise her curiosity though, as she had been sure she had caught Potter daydreaming about some boy once, surely like a crush, just the year before.

But that too was something beyond than she would know. It's not like she would speak about it; she kept away from others much anyhow.

She didn't like Potter very much either.

Like Hermione Granger, it only took one time to turn her off.

Echo had spoken to him once sometime after The First Task of The Triwizard Tournaments. It had been a question really, one she thought was rather innocent. He had been grumpy and had snapped at her, embarrassing her in front of a gathering of students. She skipped class for a week afterwards.

That "immature" act had gotten her called to the headmaster's office where she was scolded even more, and even after she told her reason why. Dumbledore had mumbled to himself a regret for allowing Lupin to retire when she had been there, as if he had briefly forgotten she was still in there. He then ordered her to the hospital wing after catching a scar on her forehead and Echo didn't miss the flicker of fear across his face when he saw it.

The scar was caused by some Ravenclaw students who had saw her "talking to herself" one day. She had been elbowed in the temple, and by the time she came to, it was night. She had lost the knarl she had been hiding in her robe then, and now with nothing to do, went to bed. Her brain was fuzzy and she was shaking, and the migraines she got days after were just brushed to the side.

Upon finding this out, she was ordered to the hospital wing and is where she stayed now.

The nurses were beginning to know Echo by name and it was something rather unfamiliar and unpleasant to Echo. She usually just sat cross-legged on her bed sheets, placid faced, watching students coming in and out, the nurses ask her questions and tending to her scars and memory loss. They performed more charms on her many times a week. That was when she put going the nurses off for the first time. Echo was the quiet girl who always had a blank look, and when they held a wand to her skull is when she showed the first signs of fear.

Echo didn't like having a wand pointed in her face. She's had enough of that.

So she started sneaking out before they could apply more charms on her already scrambled mind and do more damage.

_~ O ~_

The year after the Fat Lady's painting was fixed and after the announcement of The First Task was the next time Neville saw her. It was at dinner and she was pushing her food around with a fork. Students reached over her and talked around her like no one noticed the slight frown on her face. Yes, her expression had been mostly blank but some _must_ have noticed she kept sniffling. He had heard from a Hufflepuff named Hannah that Echo had started going back to the hospital wing and he was somehow bothered by this.

And Neville felt awful. He truly did. Echo didn't speak to many in fear of being ridiculed more and the fact that she had came to him that one time, risking getting caught and showing him something that must have been important to her started weighing on his conscious.

He watched a girl in pigtails sit beside Echo. She was the only person who spoke to her that he saw and this did make him feel a little better. He didn't know she was with the students who had gave her the bruise on her temple and scratch on her cheek.

Echo scratched the same cheek as the girl seemed to be talking to her, but Echo showed no signs of listening, eyes still on her plate. The small smile on the girl in pigtail's face soon faded and Neville imagined her speaking to Echo in a more harsher tone of voice.

That night, he did lie awake, wondering just what she wanted to tell him that night a year ago if he had allowed her.


	7. Mars II - desire

**_[Disclaimer:_ **Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Mars_** _Desire_

* * *

_"I don't know how.  
No, I don't know how.  
I don't know how;  
__I want to love you but I don't know how…"_

Neville didn't try. In fact, he tried very much not to, but he couldn't help but look for a lone head of bleach-blonde every night at dinner. Ever since hearing that Echo was admitted back to the hospital wing, it was like a fear was coming to light and the weight on his conscious grew worse. The more days that passed, it was like he was getting a seat to personally watch a perfectly normal person turn insane. It was almost like watching what had happened to his parents, in an indirect way, and he didn't like it. It was like, if he had just stayed just a bit longer, had shut up and listened to her just a _bit_ longer, than maybe she wouldn't have been so reckless. Maybe she would have said something against those Ravenclaws. And though he was far more self-conscious, maybe she could have done _something_…?

Though she was odd and weird, maybe she just needed a voice to listen to. Lord knew Neville felt so much better after having others to listen, even a little bit.

He was such a hypocrite, after spilling his guts to her whenever they snuck off, and he hadn't so much as done the same for her, not truly. And Echo could be read like a book. She cared far too much.

He had herbology with her in the afternoon this school year. She would always do as she was told but never spoke up. This was Neville's best subject and he always wanted to show off his skill, but how could he when she shrank away into the back of class and gave off an air of sadness? He couldn't do it with someone that way, _knowing_ that he was somehow the cause.

In early years when Professor Sprout asked for his help with classmates, Neville didn't mind going to help Echo before she caused a catastrophe. They would be partnered together sometime because, well, Echo wasn't exactly one with the greatest attention span. She would brighten up and almost smile, even, when he came over. Her eyes would almost sparkle, which Neville thought would be nonexistent now. It certainly seemed like it now.

Her eyes never shine anymore.

Now, Echo just stood there. He couldn't tell where she was looking and that bothered him even more. Was she paying attention? Was she imagining her own world she would later blurt aloud?

Neville remembered how she would usually come up to him, babbling about some elaborate plan or fantasy and magical creature. Neville had thought it embarrassing and a bit annoying at first but now he missed the shine in her eyes that would peek from behind her pale bangs. He missed her never-ending chatter, her shining attitude...

But when Neville noticed that Echo stopped coming to class, he thought her dead and that hurt the most. Guilt set in, and he had trouble sleeping some nights and got even more distracted in potions class which he suffered for. The friends he newly made must have started noticing by now and Neville would put Echo out of mind to socialize, but she always came back.

The few times he got a hold of the Hannah girl or someone else from Hufflepuff, all had claimed to not have heard or seen the girl.

Echo Bell was dead, and it was all Neville's fault.

The next time Neville saw Echo that year was while on a bathroom break. He had thought it a trick of the mind seeing her passing by at the far end of the hallway. She had been carrying a large can and a brush between her teeth. He had seen from down the long hallway and needed to rub his eyes multiple times to make sure it was real, she was real, and that he wasn't imagining it from worry. By the time Neville caught up to where she was—she was still a fast walker—she was on the moving staircases already a floor above.

That night, he did sleep a little better. But still...

_~ O ~_

Echo sat there with eyebrows knit and very confused. Earlier in passing, Cedric Diggory mentioned there was a little Gryffindor boy looking for her. Echo hadn't thought much of it until she found out who it was.

So here she was in the courtyard, listening to Neville Longbottom blabbering about one thing or another, probably worrying, probably scolding her, probably boasting; Echo wasn't paying attention anyway. She couldn't understand why Neville would want to speak with her again after what happened last year, of almost getting them in trouble.

Echo's gaze drifted to a butterfly behind him. Her ears swam in and out of his talking. Neville noticed this and waved a hand in front of her face. Echo blinked, turning back to him.

He glanced behind to see where her gaze had gone.

Neville found himself wondering the library increasingly often, partially hoping to find a glance of her. And now hat he had, he wasn't going to hold back what he wanted to say.

"Hey." Neville paused, watching Echo's head slowly turn to his direction. He could faintly see her eyes behind her long hair and licked his lips. His words caught in his throat. "You weren't listening to what I was saying, were you?" he sighed, disappointed.

Echo just blinked.

Neville sighed heavily again. He had been rambling anyway, not sure just how to go about doing this—to apologize. He just sucked in another breath. "You…um…you—-can you even see from behind your hair…?"

Echo blinked. Why was he here? She thought he didn't want to talk to her anymore, for as far as she knew. Neville knew Potter and so many others by now; why her?

She mumbled something as an answer. Wouldn't they get on him for being with her?

"..What if you grew it out in the back. It'd look nice." Neville was just trying to make small talk and didn't expect Echo to flip her hair out of her eyes. He had been so used to seeing her light hair that he almost forgot she even had eyes at times, even more of what her eyes looked like. There was no longer the sparkle as there had been years ago, but Echo still held him with a steady and stern gaze.

"Why?" she stated simply.

Neville looked for the right words.

"Aren't they gonna get at you for sitting here?" She directed at him sitting beside her. She wasn't as clueless as others thought her to be. Just a little dazed and very quiet. "Why're you…" Echo asked, mentioning last year on the night running on the sixth floor corridor. "Are you going to ridicule me too? I know I must have said sorry..."

Neville was at lost for words. "I…I think _I_ should be the one to apologize," he admitted. "I mean, I was the one who told you to stop talking and almost got us caught by Filch."

Echo looked back at him. She stared him in the eyes for a moment, silent. "Okay." Turned back to the quill in her hands.

Neville gapped. If it had been that easy...

"That's it? Just 'okay'?"

"Well what do you want me to say?" She always spoke all too honestly.

This time Neville blinked, not having anything to say.

_~ O ~_

"So everything was erased just that daily for you?"

"Well it's not much to be there, is it?" Echo asked.

"Well I supposed it depends on the person. But I'd be highly aware, just in case for your sake, Echo," Luna spoke softly, turning over a colored piece of wire that was becoming an earring.

Echo thought about this. She and Luna were talking about a recent trip to the Hogwarts nurses.

"It's not like he's going to come do what I had—he isn't the person who comes _to_ you. He's nice, though.

Luna hummed. "Sounds like a typical boy to me. One who you might have to be gentler with..." She continued brushing her long hair. "My mum would have said something about knowing you're smart and to act on it without fault."

Echo picked at her food. She didn't say any more.

"You should eat, Echo. I don't know the last time you had."

_~ O ~_

Neville and Echo did continued to talk now and he seemed more willing to, to her surprise. Still, it was only in passing or during class and free period. But after that apology—Echo guessed it was an apology—she began seeing Neville more and more.

She didn't know exactly how to feel about that.

Then again, she didn't really think about things like that much. Echo either had a migraine or her head was too frazzled, and the few times it was clear, she could hold a steady conversation but that was becoming less likely. Most times if she was to be caught wondering the castle, she would be eating chocolate and on the sixth floor.

Caught—as in, the time she would travel to the sixth floor of Hogwarts when most of the castle would have been asleep.

And yes, caught. She had been going on without detection for almost a year until the night Neville was lying awake again. He couldn't fall asleep and that day had been particularly bad after having an anxiety attack in he bathroom after potions class. He had luckily gotten there just before the attack hit its worse. Now, he laid with hands folded on his chest, and wide awake.

_"Right here. I found this place last year. No one knows about if except you…I'm going to tell Luna tomorrow."_

Neville guessed Luna was Echo's cousin. But what was it she wanted to show? He would wonder sometimes, and tonight was one of them. Neville debated whether to ask Echo about it or continue about his days without second glances and a constant buzz of constant babble in his ear. He and Echo had been talking enough, Neville guessed. And to him, they were still on some level of familiarity and comfort.

He wondered if he could see her, and have a talk he knew he desperately needed from a friendly face and bright smile.

Increasingly, Neville found himself wondering to the library when he couldn't find her during his free period. Neville didn't know exactly why, but Echo was like a breath of fresh air and he found it increasingly pleasurable to talk to her. She had managed to worm her way in his life for two straight years after all, and by third year, he knew it was permanent. They weren't officially friends, but then who really announces being friends often? Maybe that's why Neville had gotten so concern about her absence; maybe that's why he felt the need to apologize and why he was sneaking out of Gryffindor tower well past curfew to the kitchen.

Echo had told him sometime ago that The Great Hall is supposed to be where she would meet him, if they ever had at nightfall. But thanks to a pair of loose lips, Neville found out the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room was through the kitchen. Echo needed a little assistance often and didn't know if her arm would get caught in the door or some catastrophe would happen.

Neville crept down the staircase, socks softly padding the stone into the direction of the kitchen. He never made it, however. He didn't need to—he caught sight of Echo's arm as she was hurrying past him to another moving staircases.

Echo merely turned around and stared at him. And for the first time, Neville noticed she had a spot-like mole under the corner of her left eye.

She stared at him under bright blonde bangs.

"Where are you going this late?" Neville had caught her arm.

"You shouldn't be out of your quarters," she stated.

"That's what I just—never mind." He licked his lips, noticed she was in pajamas. "…Wha-what are you doing up anyway?"

Echo looked off to the side.

"Echo?" He didn't let go of her arm.

"Nothing…"

Neville searched for the right words. Echo was like a deer—do or say the wrong thing and she would d flee. "Does it have to do with going upstairs last year?"

Echo continued looking down. Neville didn't want to rush her...

She nodded sheepishly.

He hoped she still upheld his apology. "Well let's go then."

Echo looked up, confusion behind her bangs.

"Didn't get a chance to see it last time, right? With Filch trying to catch us and all."

Echo looked up at him and for the first time since the dementors, her eyes seemed to brighten up. Though she didn't crack a smile, she let him hold her arm and lead her up the stairs—tripping less this time—until he was lost.

It was her turn to guide them back up the maze of stairs and into the hall of abandoned portraits.

Neville didn't know how or why he suddenly became so acceptant to go along with this, or so brave to break curfew all of a sudden. For all he knew, this girl was mental. She was crazy and always got involved in odd situations where she could get in big trouble, and sometimes he wondered if her mind shut down as often as people said—Echo was also related to a very odd girl in school, so she did very odd things, according to Neville. Not to mention how she and her cousin dressed. Maybe that was why? Maybe that was why everything Echo did felt new and sent a sort of rush through him? Why she was like a breath of fresh air from everything else crazy going on?

At the top of one staircase and waiting for it to align, Echo's hand dropped. Neville looked from the sleeping portraits to the back of her head. She was in front and much shorter, so he could see the curls of her baby hair at the nape of her neck. Her hair in the back seemed to have changed as well but he couldn't put a finger on what exactly yet.

"Why are you so willing to do this?" Her voice was so low Neville had to ask her to repeat. "You didn't want to talk to me before. You wouldn't do something like this and break curfew. …why?"

Neville thought for a moment, biting his lip. She didn't look back and he was grateful. He didn't know how he would be able to answer with her staring at him.

"Never mind," she interrupted. "The jump is coming. Besides, I trust you're a good choice in character." Echo cautioned him to prepare to jump to the next staircase, as this one wasn't going to stop moving. "You're a good person, Neville. I hope. You're just…a little…"

"A little what?"

"Jump now."

When they got to the long, dimly lit hallway, with a lumos charm from Neville's wand, the two traveled past the sleeping portraits, only receiving a few rude remarks from a handful still awake. They whispered welcoming remarks to Echo, since that she hadn't been up here since being admitted to the hospital wing again. A faint blue hue tinted the walls from the rain reflecting outside and when they came to the fork in the hall, Neville jumped again from the portrait with the baritone voice.

"Ah, so you've returned now, have you? What is it you're going to chicken out about _this_ time?"

Neville gapped. "…I'm not chicken!"

The man in the portrait scoffed.

Echo backtracked to confront him, telling the portrait that Neville was here friend now and the man remarked with sass.

Neville turned to her. "I think we should get out of here." He had thought he had whispered that low enough but apparently not.

Another portrait of a large older man scoffed. "Stop being such a party-ruiner. Start taking a few risks, you sissy." This earning a "I'm not a party-ruiner" and "I'm not a sissy" from Neville to which the man simply responded with a nod of his head: "Then prove it. Go down there and see. She's worked on this for a rather long time already. So get some backbone and when a lady talks, you listen, chap!"

Neville looked to the girl still holding his hand. Her face was downcast and he gave in.

"What is he talking about?" Neville asked when they were away from the two portraits.

Echo hesitated before turning and leading him the last few steps down the hallway. They had never gotten this far and Neville was uneasy with being this deep into a forbidden part of the castle. She dropped his hand upon entering tall double doors, letting it close behind them. It was a room, probably the size of a classroom with two large windows reaching the ceiling along one wall which the rain and moonlight reflected and provided little light. It was a grand room that made Neville's jaw fall and he wondered how had Echo had found it.

"This is _cool_…!" His body followed his gaze, circling the room.

Echo went to sit somewhat in the middle of the room, watching him silently.

Moonlight streamed in through the tall windows and Echo put out the lumos charm but the moon was enough light for the room.

As Neville finished marveling the place, his eyes caught a bit of color in the moonlight. At the head of the room was a painting of various subjects he could make out a bit. It was a kind of mural stretching to the middle width of the wall with many patterns and complicated pictures that could only be appreciated up close. At the base of the painting seemed to be many weaving lines that were in the process of being made into vines; there were leaves branching out from the vines as well. The painting wasn't completed, he saw. Scattered paint buckets and newspaper littered the floor nearest the wall, and a latter was positioned where Echo must have left off. The painting didn't reach more than she could on the latter.

Neville's feet took him closer to the painting. "Where'd you find this…?" His hand hovered above a large painted leaf. He didn't now if it was dry or not and didn't want to mess it up another way. Traces of finger marks in the paint could be seen up this close and if he were to look, he'd see quotes and phrases written on the wall as well.

"I asked my parents for some paints last summer after I found this place last winter."

Neville turned around as she explained. His eyes fell to the floor. _This_ was what she must have wanted to show him and he felt guilty because it obviously looked grand in the moonlight and obvious that she was woking hard on it. It must have been so important to her, and it truly was marvelous, terrible for him to disregard it.

"Oh, ok." It wasn't the exact answer to his question, but it would have to do.

"I started it last year, third year."

Neville turned from the painting and Echo was still watching him for some kind of approval. He glanced once more between the two and he turned to her with a little smile.

The rain softly pelted the glass of the sixth floor.


	8. Mars III - aggression

_**[Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo **]**_

* * *

**Neptune**

_**Mars** Aggression_

* * *

_"I don't know how..._  
_I want to love you but I don't know how_  
_I want to love you but I don't know how  
__I want to love you…"_

"I _hate_ my classes. My grandmother wants me to be good at Transfiguration and stuff but I _can't stand_ them—-"

"Is that why you don't like Potions and Charms class?"

Neville hesitated, lifting his head from leaning on hers and looked at the dim white hair of Echo's. "…yes…how—-"

"I heard from Edward during Astronomy. He's in your class, you know."

"No, I didn't."

Echo paused, watching the rain reflect off the walls and across their skin, her head still on Neville's shoulder. They were still in pajamas in the abandoned classroom on the sixth floor. As far as they knew the rest of Hogwarts was asleep. But the castle was quiet and the sound of rain brought a calming atmosphere that made their confessions that night spill out easily.

"Is your grandmother always so demanding? I think that's kind of unfair and counterproductive if she is."

Neville hesitated again before answering, "yes."

"I'm sorry."

That's how that night ended. Neither knew how long they spent curled up together on the stone floor, just talking. Neither knew how much time passed but both did know each needed it. The night and sixth floor was only used for venting—for once, Neville got everything off his chest about his family and school and his little social life. Echo admitted that sometimes she felt that she's probably losing her mind, especially with what others repetitively tell her and the constant charms the nurses perform on her.

Neville looked at Echo again. Before he asked "for what?" Echo continued.

"I'm odd, aren't I?" she had asked and Neville didn't know how to respond. "I mean, that's why Professor Lupin kept watching over me, right? I mean, I know that stuff's changed after…after…after that time. She meant the incident with the dement ors during third year. It still was a soar spot for her. "But I'm trying to get better. ...The other kids, they talk about me—I know it even though Luna doesn't want me to and though no one thinks I do. What did I ever do? Why did my brain _break_…?" Her voice cracked and her lip had begun to quiver.

Neville let her talk.

Echo let him vent and Neville did the same. It was a mess, it was a train wreck and he realized that she really wasn't as weird as others made her out to be. Sure, Echo thought differently and wasn't as careful as most others and she would rather do and say things that others probably wouldn't...

"I don't know," Neville had remarked.

The rain reflected around the abandoned room and on the painting on the wall.

Around the castle, Ron, Harry, and Seamus readied for bed, joking amongst each other.

The Yule Ball was coming up and students were already asking each other to the dance.

Wen both students returned to their quarters, Neville laid on his back, staring at the ceiling until someone turned out the light and he couldn't see anymore.

_~ O ~_

The Yule Ball has been a tradition of The Triwizard Tournament since it's inception," Assistant Headmaster Mcgonagall explained to the room full of Gryffindors. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in The Great Hall for a night of well mannered frivolity." She turned, looking each student in the eye. "As representatives of the host school, I expect each _and_ every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because…The Yule Ball is first and for most…a dance."

Chatter erupted among the students.

"Silence! The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded in respect of the wizard world for nearly ten centuries. …I_ will not_ have you in the course of a single evening besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling bumbling band of baboons!" she calmed.

In the crowd, George and Fred Weasley mocked her, trying to say "babbling band of baboons" five times fast.

Mcgonagall then went into trying to encourage the students with metaphors of boldness and grace. It didn't work, however, and she chose to make an example by picking one of the boys on the first row to demonstrate.

"Now, place your right hand on my waist."

Ron looked to the crowd of giggling males. "_Where?_"

Someone wolf whistled and the room erupted into snickers. It was a harmless anyway, that neither of the students realized the influence it would cause on the headmasters.

Really, The Yule Ball was a sort of formal to make the school look proper and just some tradition that had become their own personal prom during The Tournament. To the students, no one wanted to go alone. It would be embarrassing and a bit disgraceful if one couldn't get asked. That's why they started practicing dancing. And by the third week, everybody who was anybody had gotten a date or partner.

But still Harry and Ron could not. They had been turned down at every corner by every girl and it was looking pretty grim for the boys. Hermione had gotten one, but that wasn't very surprising. She was a pretty girl as well as intelligent. It left Ron with a scowl and Harry with a tinge of jealousy. Neville saw this in their bedroom but it wasn't like he was going to say anything. In fact, he was quite curious. He had seen Harry talking with another Gryffindor several times before, some girl with long, light brown curly waves just a year under them and Neville had thought that surely Harry would have asked her to The Ball.

Speaking of which...there was someone he had been wanting to talk to, someone that's been on his mind lately...

Luna saw Ron Weasley go up to that Fleur Decalour girl from Beauxbatons. She guessed he was asking Fleur to The Ball, but the beautiful French Triwizard competitor turned him down. Luna was quite envious to be honest. She didn't exactly have a date for The Ball. She would have loved to be asked to such things but she was a year under, and had to be asked by an upperclassmen in order to go.

She guessed her little chat to Ginny Weasley few days before must have not helped. But that was her loss. When Potter starts dating that other Gryffindor girl, the one in Ginny's year with the long wavy hair, it would be Ginny's loss. Many would probably catch on late anyways. Luna could swear they already were, they seemed mysteriously close already.

What was that girl's name again...?

Oh well, it was none of her business or concern.

Luna skipped down one of Hogwart's many expansive halls alone, on her way to who-knows-where. On the way, she passed the open door of a classroom where her cousin was for one of her classes—or where her cousin _should_ be. Instead, the girl was in the library, forgotten she had a class to get to.

Echo was engrossed in a book for the past hour and a half. She had been so into the book that she didn't notice the footsteps coming up behind her until someone cleared their throat in her ear.

Echo calmly turned, expecting to see a group ready to tease her or one of the school's ghosts to scold her like they usually did when she was forgetful. Instead, it was awkward, bucktoothed Neville.

He shyly greeted her with a hushed voice like he usually did, afraid they would get caught or teased for being seen together. Echo hadn't seen him for some time and was quite pleased for his presence—it always made her relaxed and smile

Echo started to say something about some magical creature again when Neville beat her to talking, speaking her name again. "Um, you know about The Ball coming up?"

He was met by a blank stare. He stuttered on.

"W-well, I wanted to see if you've been asked by anyone..."

No one would ask her, that he already knew. No one had asked her but still, Neville was nervous of rejection. He waited for a response and noticed Echo had spaced out again and he snapped his fingers in front of her face to get it back on him.

"Hey! Echo, I was talking to you, remember?!"

She hadn't seen Neville in so long and she was thinking about the last time she had. He had wanted to return the favor and show her his "secret place" Neville liked to go to, which was at an edge of the Black Lake under a willow tree. It had been a pleasant day that ended in a small splashing fight and they returned to Hogwarts full of giggles and wet shirts. They were almost immediately ridiculed, _"that clumsy, wimpy Gryffindor and that dumb, nutcase girl whom all the dementors loved."_

_"Of course stupid would attract stupid," one had spat._

_"What do you think they were doing by the lake," another added with a suggestive raise of an eyebrow._

Echo had practically ran from them as Neville attempted to talk them down but had stammered too much. He had been pushed on the chest, knocking the water ferns from his hands and almost knocking him to the floor.

_"I feel so bad for Potter, that he has to room with such a nitwit."_

It had been such a peaceful day... But like most things, it didn't stay with Echo for too long and was back to normal in no time. This was a perfect time for Neville to come.

He took a breath and repeated his question, this time, with even more stuttering.

The day The Ball was announced, Echo had been the one who came to Neville's mind almost right away. Other girls were so pretty but had already been asked—they were quite intimidating as well. But Echo—she was weird, odd, and she was familiar. And hopefully, it would be easy for Neville to ask her. No one would want to ask her and she never tried to boast and gossip like so many other he knew.

Echo had been the one Neville wanted to ask from the start and his palms were sweating in anticipation and nervousness.

When he finished repeating his question, Echo hadn't blinked. Neville held his breath.

"Oh, Neville…no one's…asked me because I'm not going."

His brows crinkled. "Why not?"

Echo shrugged. Her hand had brushed her bangs to the side earlier. "I'm not very fond of parties. They…I…" She frowned looking for the right words. "They make me all jittery and very uncomfortable and..." She shrugged again, this time forcing a small smile. It was an empty smile—she was trying, he saw. "I don't really like them."

Well, Neville thought, this was a turn of events. A confession was on the edge of his tongue but he swallowed it instead. He wasn't going to force her; she said she didn't like parties, so there must be a good reason for that.

Noticing his frown, Echo's eyes widened. "What's the matter?"

Neville shook his head, ready to walk off.

"You're—-?" Echo caught herself.

She wasn't going to ask him why was he leaving. She wasn't going to stop him. He was obviously disappointed in something and he had never questioned her, so why should she?

Echo looked around frantically. "I found something!" she exclaimed, pulling out a book from her bag.

But Neville had already left the section of tables in the library.

After running after and catching up to him, she shoved the book in Neville's arms, forcing him to stop.

"I found that book you left behind. The one you said Professor Moody gave you." She didn't have that carefree expression Neville saw when he first met her, a look he just about forgot. She didn't have _that_, but something did shine, faintly, behind her heterochromic eyes. He took the book quietly, Echo's eyes still trained on him. There still was a pit of regret in his stomach and bitter taste of rejection in the back of his throat.

Neville didn't know why he had grown to feel so comfortable around this girl, or so fond of either. Why—it had been a girl, an outcast that was willing to stay up and hear everything he had to say, opposed to those who were his own friends. But her, who was twisting in a sort of nonchalant side to side dance with clasped fingers standing in front of him—Neville couldn't be more relaxed with anyone else.

And as she looked up, she smiled, and for the first time since her attack, in the library's dim light, her eyes seemed to hold a sort of sparkle.

Echo smiled a little. Neville forced one in return.

Later, Ginny would be the one who went to The Yule Ball with him instead.

_~ O ~_

It took Neville some time to get over it. He had been very bitter about that calm rejection, honestly, and Ginny had told him yo try to loosen up several times that night of The Yule Ball, but he couldn't quite. He just couldn't. He felt so…so...

He didn't know.

While The Ball had been a memorable event and he continued to enjoy himself even after Ginny departed to watch the band and he fell asleep happy that night, but it wasn't until the second day after that he saw Echo and the feeling returned. But after all that and all this time, Neville felt like he had been punched in the gut. He had been rejected by the one he had felt the most comfortable around, whom knew his secrets, and he had been so sure it would have worked. He had been so sure before.

It did hurt, honestly, and Neville spend the next few weeks avoiding the halls and corridors he had seen her walk the most. He didn't want to run into her, not right now.

He felt hurt. He had thought that after all this time, that they would have been passed _that_ stage already. It slipped his mind that Echo was still mentally healing.

_"I'm not really someone who likes parties," she had said. "They make me feel…uncomfortable."_

Neville breathed a hopeless sigh. His cheek was pressed onto a page of an open book somewhere in the library. His sigh was full of remorse and regret and longing.

Books of plants and spells stacked next to him but he was rereading the one given to him by Moody for the fourth time now. His fingers trailed across the page. He thought that maybe he was picking up this bad habit from Echo, hence noticing a few pages were starting to fall out.

He sat back up and wondered had he really been reading it _that _much?

The Second Task was coming up and Neville prayed for some kind of distraction to come to him. All he could see was almost white blonde hair and heterochromic eyes.

Once, he had started becoming anxious when he thought he caught her hair in the hallway, but didn't want to see her for the time being and sped forward down a different hall. It's been some time since Neville has spent time with his friends, afraid that Echo would come up when he was with them and he wouldn't know how he would respond in the possibility. So, he kept to himself once more, studying for tests and feeding his hobbies and keeping to himself.

He wouldn't talk to Echo again for a long time.

The Second Task was coming up and Neville was hoping for some kind of distraction with his head lying on his open book when Professor Moody showed up.

"Get your head up, Mister Longbottom. I've got a task for your little head."

_~ O ~_

She's heard of what happened at The Second Task. Her cousin hadn't been able to go watch but they've heard of it from others. They heard that Mister Harry Potter had saved two contestants instead of one, that Mister Harry Potter had risked his _sacred_ life again, that Harry Potter had saved the day _once_ _more_. Luna spoke of it and about the possibility of it having to do with liquid luck as she did Echo's hair.

Luna admired how courageous Potter seemed to be, that she hasn't stopped hearing about him since she arrived at Hogwarts and even before, as everyone had. Luna asked if Echo had ever spoken with him and Echo expressed how she didn't particularly like him very much and that he was very moody. Echo didn't explain how she had walked in on him in a closet with someone else on accident, once, before The Second Task. The time before, she thought she had heard Potter with what sounded like another deep voice in the second floor broom closet.

Luna hadn't asked much from her after that.

Now it's been several weeks since Cedric Diggory's murder. There were still some skeptics about The Dark Lord returning and that was bound to happen, but there was no avoiding that there was now an _innocent_ boy _dead_ under _some_ circumstances. Some still pointed their finger to Harry and that was expected.

And Echo hasn't seen spoken to Neville since before The Yule Ball. The few times she saw him, he seemed to have something troubling him and on a quick walking speeding. Luna suggested that he had probably came in contact with some magical creature in an attempt to cheer Echo up. But she didn't press it. More so, Luna was afraid to be lashed out at if she did.

It was weeks until Echo saw him again. This time, when she was looking out on the lake from some balcony. He had been passing by, asking if anyone had seen Trevor, his toad, and Echo had been eating chocolate, looking out at the view. When she turned around, he noticed that her fingers were covered in paint again and he licked his lips, not knowing what to say. He simply dipped his head and proceeded to continue his search.

"I interrupted something again, didn't I? I can see you're more bothered now," Echo spoke up. She looked down.

"No…that wasn't it…"

"How was The Yule Ball? I heard it was very loud."

She spoke as if Cedric's death wasn't still in the air. She took another bite of chocolate before looking at him and breaking off a piece to offer.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Neville's voice rose. "Someone _died_, and you're here _eating chocolate and_ asking about a_ silly dance_?"

Echo's offering arm fell.

"_How_…?" He was frustrated and running out of steam.

Echo saw this and waited until he was calm.

"Well if I got as upset as everyone else, that wouldn't help the situation at all, now would it?" Her lips curled up in a smile. "Hysteria doesn't help solve the problem."

Neville's brows crinkled.

She ate the rejected piece of chocolate. "And _this_ helps because Professor Lupin gave it me and helps. Like when I can't think straight." She started to smile, but just a little before it vanished. "It's getting better."

He thought she was being extremely ridiculous but wondered about saying it. Echo frustrated him, she frustrated him very much but at the same time he couldn't really be mad at something that wasn't her fault. She didn't ask to be attacked, she didn't want to be this way, she didn't wish to be teased, like he was. She was small, weak, and vulnerable and hurt.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Neville stood silent for some time. He finally shook his head, rubbed his mouth, and admitted he wasn't anymore.

"I can help you look for Trevor if you want."

Echo was steadily growing more talkative by the year, but still if the wrong thing said or she saw the right person, she'd go mute again. She was brightening more too, and in the wake of Voldemort's return and Cedric's death, and though everyone in the castle were in hysteria and worry, beside Echo was where Neville would be if it all became too much. She liked to go to the outskirt of The Dark Forest and see the thestrals and speak with Nearly Headless Nick, and sometimes they'd dose off by accident watching the sky in her painted room.

That time she told him why she didn't like going to the hospital wing and of the spells constantly performed on her there instead of taking her to St Mungo's. Since then, Neville has grown and began stepping up even a little when some would down talk her, putting up with whatever jinx or tease was thrown at him.

In the library, he would push back her bangs if she grew tired and she helped if he ever forgot something important. They had gotten back in the routine of walking the halls and Neville couldn't deny that there was beginning to be some improvement with her, but knew that there was still much more damage under the surface that she didn't acknowledge. There seemed to be something going on at home too because she always grew quiet whenever it was mentioned.

Neville had his problems and the two expressed them late at night while wondering the school, and Echo was still very much scatterbrained. Even though his chest fluttered just the tiniest bit when she laughed, it wasn't worth it. Echo was a wild, free and innocent soul that couldn't be held down. No matter what he felt, Neville knew he could never tell her how he felt, and Echo was like was an open book.

That winter break after fourth year couldn't pass quickly enough.


	9. Jupiter I - expansion

**_[Disclaimer:_**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Jupiter _**_Expansion_

* * *

_"Pitch black, pale blue,  
These wild oceans shake what's left of me lose  
Just to hear me cry mercy."_

**Fifth Year**

Luna looked for her cousin once exiting the train. Students passed by all around and the carriage came and left multiple times but still she didn't see that familiar head of hair.

Meanwhile, Hermione was getting worried about Harry and she knew Ron was too. They exchanged it in looks as they followed Harry to the thestral-drawn carriage that would lead them to the gates of Hogwarts. They were worried about their friend and his increasing anger and mood swings, plus staying at the Dursleys have apparently had gotten worse. His anger was justified, they knew, but at the same time...

The three came to a stop as a carriage pulled off, already full of talkative girls. One of the girls the trio recognized as Cho Chang, smiled back as the carriage drove away, and then she turned back to the others riding beside her.

Hermione tilted her head in the direction of Harry, catching his slow almost longing sigh. Ron didn't miss the look in her eyes, silently getting her message. That's when Neville caught up to them, carrying his Mimbulus Mimbletonia plant.

This night was starting off with too much tension.

The last carriage was parked nearby, and was the last that would be running to Hogwarts this year.

Hermione sighed to herself. This was going to be a tough year, she could already feel, and not just because of the some kind of tension that remained between her and Ron.

Neville was the one who ushered the three to the carriage, after the fact Harry seemed transfixed on something invisible in the air. Hermione asked if Harry was feeling alright, seeing him reach out to empty space. But Neville saw, and agreed with Harry that he saw the thestrals when asked, albeit Neville agreed silently.

The four didn't expect the unfamiliar face that was already seated inside the carriage when they climbed in.

Luna Lovegood lowered The Quibbler magazine she had been reading upside down.

"Don't worry," she spoke to Harry, completely ignoring the other three. "I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am." Somehow, that last sentence didn't make anyone feel as comforting as it was meant.

The four shifted for comfort awkwardly. No one seemed too pleased to be sitting with this girl and Neville was beginning to wonder why, and why her wide eyes seemed to study each one of them. Then Hermione opened her own mouth.

"Everyone this Loony Love—-" She cut herself off, catching her rude introduction. "…This is Luna Lovegood." Her dark eyes cast down at her own correction.

And then everything came to light. Luna smiled at Neville and he returned it sheepishly, automatically.

He had been told that this girl, Luna, had a sort of oddness about her, that she was a very peculiar girl and some felt uncomfortable around her unusual air—but Neville couldn't find any resemblance to Luna and her cousin, at least by looks, and if you don't count the eyes. There was something about their eyes, both of them, that just seemed wide and wondrous that made you want to question them about everything in the world, like they could give you answers to the once unknown—Luna's eyes just seemed forever surprised.

"You're Neville," Luna spoke after everyone was introduced. "I've heard a lot about you. From my cousin, that is. She's quite fond of you, you know."

The three other Gryffindors immediately turned to him.

Neville had simply grinned politely at first, but that second part of Lua's statement had caught him off guard.

_Fond of him?_ Surely he must be mistaken. He and Echo were merely friends—if even that; he wasn't entirely sure himself. His face had changed into one of complete surprise now.

The carriage had already left the train station by now and the five were riding silently to the school grounds.

"She considers you a close friend. She doesn't warm up to many people much," Luna explained and Neville's expression relaxed. "Especially after…that incident, she's more quiet and hasn't exactly been the same."

Neville nodded in agreement. He knew well already.

"I hope she's getting better. Last time she had turned mute again and couldn't remember her own birthday…" Luna looked at her chipping nail polish.

"She's getting much better," he assured, a slight grin tugging on his lips. He spoke up suddenly and Luna looked up at him, eyes still wide and wondrous, but this time with a little hope.

A memory of Echo came to mind, of rolling down hills together and another of dancing to random music in her painting room one night...

She was getting much better indeed.

Echo was the one thing they could bond over.

And then Neville realized the questioning and alarming looks from Ron, Hermione and Harry, and Neville closed up again. Not another word was spoken about Echo or between each other for the rest of the carriage ride.

_~ O ~_

The night Dolores Umbridge was announced as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Neville looked straight ahead where he had always seen Echo to be at the Hufflefuff table. She usually sat somewhere directly across amongst chatting students though she herself rarely engaged, and unknowing that Neville could watch her. But when he looked, he didn't see her and began to worry. He's gotten used to looking after her for so long now, hoping she hadn't gotten eaten in The Dark Forest or locked somewhere in the castle, that his heart sped up at her absence.

He scratched his wrist nervously.

And there was reason too. Lately, Echo's been missing from class and the few times he's caught her in the halls. She always had paint on her fingers and he'd have to wipe it off her face like a mother to a child, whines of protest to match.

There was a long time since he's seen her last and he no longer felt the same flutter in his chest when he saw her. That temporary feeling back around the Yule Ball had gone. He had now realized that it had been from closeness, but misinterpreted.

When Neville found Echo in the halls, he would ask where she'd been, all in a huff, and she'd ignore him or stare at him like she usually does. He knew he should tell Dumbledore or Sprout or some teacher, but couldn't. Neville was afraid they wouldn't help, that they'd see she was only troubled and send her back to get charmed and hexed. Most times he found her in that painted room again, working on _her masterpiece_, as she called it. But still he was knew he had no reason to report her, but he was worried nonetheless.

Neville wasn't a fighter—not by a long shot—but he refused to argue, especially with her. Echo was fragile, she was too breakable. Yes, Neville was self-conscious and shy, but she was a butterfly's wing—too much pressure and she'll break.

Not everybody could touch her. Not everybody wanted to. Those who could, were special.

This too was true—Echo didn't seem to warm up to anybody the way she had with her cousin and Neville, and that seemed a bit odd in other's eyes. Once, Ron had caught him: Neville had been wiping something off of Echo's face near the entrance of the courtyard and had thought no one was near.

After the two had departed, Ron frightened Neville by coming from behind and asking, "what was that all about?"

Neville had jumped and stuttered a response that Ron just let the suspicion roll off his shoulder. Besides, they were late for DADA class and they feared Umbridge was probably catching on to them, practicing defense in private. They had heard the story of the first time Harry was ordered to her office and seen the scar on the back of his hand. But Neville had knew that Echo wasn't having the class until much later that day and that she had been up to something, probably in that painted room again. He knew that she needed a once over before heading to class after being up there in that abandoned room again and didn't want her to get caught.

What drawn Neville back to the quirky girl was that he saw progress—there had been increased process with her to the point she was almost as outgoing as she had in the beginning. But there was still that she held her tongue and that little too-placid look on her face. But she was recovering nonetheless. He saw it. Luna did too. That's why Luna made him promise to not leave her cousin, that Echo was getting better by being around him someway, and that Luna trusted him someway. Luna had made Neville promise to protect Echo and he didn't see her again until signing up for Dumbledore's Army.

The Army existed because Umbridge was disrupting Hogwarts in a critical time when this lesson is needed.

Both boys rushed to the DADA classroom at top speed.

_~ O ~_

Months passed by with their horrid new teacher not exactly molding into the Hogwarts curriculum. Instead, Dolores Umbridge forced herself in, invading each and every crevice and twisting every rule she could. She began taking over and no one was taking fondly of it—maybe besides Filch.

Students had to get accustomed to the stricter curriculum and the constant addition of rules and gathered around the ladder as Filch nailed another plaque day after day.

Normally, Luna would hold her cousin's hand as the two stared up in worry at the clutter of plaques on the wall. Echo asked if there was anything they could do, and Luna did not have an answer. She hadn't even told Echo that she was participating in Dumbledore's Army. It was her own private way of protecting her cousin as well.

Dumbledore's Army had begun and the students kept the secret under lock and key, and those caught using wands in class were never ratted out, amazingly, and neither by those not in The Army.

Echo had found out about it through Neville. They had been out in the courtyard studying since he wanted quiet and Echo had commented about Dolores' uprising.

"There's this plan going on, if you can keep a secret," he revealed. Neville glanced around to make sure no one could overhear. "Harry's started a sort of Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching, you know, in case…we were to meet any _death eaters_. We call it an Army and… If you want to go, that is, I can take you...?

Echo had just looked at him with a blank stare until speaking after several empty moments. "No. I don't like Harry."

Neville blinked, surprised at her blunt statement. "What do you mean you don't like Harry?"

"Harry doesn't like me. I've talked to him once and he's angry and didn't make me like him much."

She began talking in short answers again, a sign that she was starting to close up into herself again. Neville concluded that it must have been a bad run-in. He didn't push it, luckily.

"Ok."

The wind blew in their faces and Echo rubbed her eyes.

"Well then, would you like to learn?" Neville turned to the blonde head leaned on his shoulder.

Echo lolled her head to the side and her bright eyes turned to him, sparkling.

"…I could teach you…" Neville couldn't help but smile a little.

He had just grown into his front teeth and trimmed his dark hair. Echo ran a hand through it and looked him in the eye, her expression blank and unreadable. Neville forced his lips into another smile. This time she responded back.

"Ok?" he asked.

"Ok."


	10. Jupiter II - optimism

**_I broke this chapter in half because it was too long otherwise_****_._**

**_[Disclaimer:_**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Jupiter _** _Optimism, abundance_

* * *

"You have to grip it tightly in your hand," Harry walked around the room, assisting those who needed help and praising those who casted the spell right. He had a slight limp to his walk but no one questioned it. No one really noticed it.

Many in The Army were those who were a year ahead of Luna and knew Harry Potter personally. But every time Luna looked around, she couldn't feel happier. Here, no one judged and everyone helped each other and all worked together for a good purpose. In fact, she _loved_ coming here and has felt the most where she belonged since getting sorted.

Luna looked around, following where her rabbit Patronus ran to, and her eyes caught the sight of a dog Patronus knocking Neville over. The brunette wasn't the best spell caster in the room and hadn't been the most confident either, but he had improved more than anyone else. And because of that, Luna approved of him teaching her cousin.

Luna wasn't as oblivious as perceived. She knew good and well about Neville and Echo's arrangement. If it was anyone else, Luna would have just taught Echo herself, they would meet during free periods and practice. It was a secret the three kept even from Harry himself and his friends, the head of Dumbledore's Army.

At the same time, Luna considered, the more on their side, the better.

And Echo had improved much herself, Luna had been told. Neville now knew how to do apparition, which is how Echo had snuck him out of the fifth floor the night The Fat Lady's portrait was ripped.

All seemed to be going well. The Army was getting stronger and Umbridge couldn't find evidence of it whatsoever and they continued to fool Filch countlessly. Just one thing remained—Echo kept disappearing. And both Luna and Neville knew it would catch the attention of Umbridge soon if she didn't stop.

_~ O ~_

But Umbridge did find out, sadly. It was Cho Chang who broke and finally told her the secret meet up location for The Army. Cho couldn't entirely be blamed though, after being slipped a truth potion that made her tell. The students knew of the terrors that happened behind those closed office doors, but since Umbridge caught ear of the secret sessions, the tortures had become worse and worse.

But still, it remained that The Army had been found out. And each and every one of those in Dumbledore's Army were sent to one of the extra curriculum halls where they were to spend their punishment. It was where they were to engrave and draw blood on their own hands again and again as a form of punishment. By the time the fourth letter had been written, some were already in tears. Lavender screamed somewhere in the back, the pain too much and was whacked on the back of the head and told to continue. Parvati was also one who finished in tears. Terry Boot, Colin, Dean, and Neville too.

Umbridge sat at the head of the hall, sighing in content and with a cup of tea in one hand. And when it was all over, smiled at her handiwork as the children existed with death glares and whispered curses.

Cho had been standing outside, waiting for them to exit. She had been the only one not punished, as a sort of reward for tattling. She watched with her head down as her classmates pushed past her, all nursing their wrists. She looked for a friendly face, and when finding Harry, approached him.

She had tried to apologize, or at least, she wanted to, but Harry wasn't having any of it. She had betrayed them all, in the end. This is the story that was floating around school, and Neville had heard the story about Cho and Harry soon after.

Ron suggested ditching DADA class once, but with a word from Dean who trudged alongside him and coming from the same class, approved it as an idiotic move. Especially this early.

Ron guessed that Dean was right and the group of boys walked in silence to their next destination: The Study Hall. It was all Harry, Dean, Ron, Seamus, and Neville.

Because of Umbridge, students were afraid to do the simplest things. Many stopped soliciting in the halls and almost no one spoke aloud to each other. No one walked together either, which was why Neville was shocked to feel a hand on his robe sleeve one afternoon. He jumped—mainly from his wound—to Echo wrapping her hand around his fingers. She didn't look his way in acknowledging his presence any further, and merely silently joined him to The Study Hall, her books in hand.

Neville made sure to take a seat at the end, knowing Echo would rather not be caught in between Harry and whatever gossip that would take place of her arrival.

Neville opened a textbook, his cheeks already turning pink with nervousness.

Echo sat next to him and took his hand, staring silently at a flickering candle. Neville shrank back from her hold but Echo held firm and put both their hands out in the open. The words shone on his skin, still red. Echo's eyes didn't widen like Neville thought they would. Instead, she simply ran her fingers across the scar, feeling each stroked carved in his skin. She rubbed her thumbs along his wounds gently. Luckily, the other boys were too deep in their studies to really pay attention.

"Luna says optimism is key."

"What?" The random comment had caught Neville off guard. That she was ready to speak did as well.

"Optimism. It means to stay positive. Luna says that's helped her since her mother died."

"…I...didn't know her mother died." Neville felt a bit awkward, and guilty for a few things he's said about Luna, albeit before knowing the two were cousins.

Echo nodded. "She was nine, I think. Staying optimistic helps in dire times—such as this one. Umbridge is a problem, but I'm sure she won't last."

Echo looked up at him. Neville had frozen with his cheek in his other palm and eyes fixed on her.

"Smile, Luna says, and a kind face will aid the day better."

A tingle of a curve tugged at the ends of her lips.

Neville watched her in awe.

_~ O ~_

The time Luna Lovegood met Hannah Abbott that year was during another gathering under the plaques weeks later.

"What does it say this time?" Luna asked the upperclassmen.

"That snake! I tell you, this Umbridge...I wish we could do something about her," Hannah snarled. "I hear she staged Dumbledore's whole arrest."

"I agree. Since coming here, her presence has been quite...irritating."

Hannah looked at the shorter blonde at her side, a question and suspicion blooming in her mind.

Both girls watched Filch finish nailing the new plaque and climb down the tall latter. The rest of the students in the crowd were chatting among themselves, keeping the volume to a minimum, and when Umbridge's heels were heard clicking down the hallway, they scattered. The new plaque had said something that Dolores Jane Umbridge was now replacing Dumbledore.

Their next class was starting soon, and Luna ran to The Care of Magical Creatures classroom. It was her cousin, Echo's, favorite class but Luna wasn't entirely into it. Sure, she admired the animals and loved reading about them and finding new ones, but taking care of them weren't something she was into. She wouldn't even pick it as a career. But her cousin surely would, Luna knew without a doubt. Echo has always loved magical creatures and spoke about it very often, almost as often as Luna. Now, Luna was suspecting some of it might be rubbing off on her...

Morag MacDougal watched the young Lovegood and stepped closer.

"You're really good," the fellow Ravenclaw commented with a slight smile.

Luna didn't smile nor look up from the creature. "They're quite easy to care for." That dreamy and sleepy look was present in her eyes and she was very concentrated. "As long as you show no harm or approach their home tree, they're as tame as owls."

Morag smiled in return.

"Now, class," Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank called at the front of the class. "As you finish drawing your bowtruckles, you all are to label each part of it as your remaining homework."

_~ O ~_

The next and last time Neville saw Echo that year was six weeks after the study hall. It was later in the day after some announcement made by Umbridge in The Great Hall. The demonous woman had smiled the whole time, going on and on about rules that must be abided and those who disobeyed must be punished. By now, most of the school knew what kind of punishment she preferred and wouldn't dare disobey.

"Hogwarts is steadily getting better," she informed with a sweet-looking smile. "Under _my_ guidance, of course."

McGonagall and several professors rolled their eyes.

The Great Hall remained disturbingly calm.

"Now, unfortunately, I'll have to forbid any wondering of the castle and on the sixth floor and above, unaccompanied by an administrator." Umbridge pouted as if she was actually upset of enforcing yet another rule. "A busy bee informed me that there is a very dangerous part of the castle and that some reckless students have been sneaking up there.."

McGonagall spoke up. "Thats preposterous! _No_ students has wondered there unattended for _years, _other teachers as well as myself have made sure. Besides, it's been forbidden."

Umbridge turned, looking at the professor out of the corner of her eye. "Then explain why we had to hose down all that mess on the walls?" She cracked another shit-eating smile. "...Are you calling me a liar, professor?"

McGonagall sat back down, and not to the surprise of anyone. Surely, any other person in her place would have done the same.

But Neville worried. He hadn't touched his food and was still nursing his scarred hand with aloe jelly, but that statement Umbridge said made him freeze.

_The abandoned classroom on the sixth floor..._

And he hasn't seen Echo in a really long time now. He looked around, hoping to catch sight of her somewhere. Merlin knew that the girl wouldn't survive five minutes with Umbridge. Neville didn't even know how_ he_ made it past that torture that gave him his scar.

_Oh god, what if Umbridge found her painting? What would the woman possibly do to her for that?_

He knew that the painting was a coping and healing assignment appointed by Professor Lupin before he resigned and Neville and how much it meant to her, just to have it hosed down for being caught at the wrong time.

Neville doubted Echo had even spoke about it to anyone at all, and was probably looking down at her shoes during Umbridge's speech. He hated to imagine her reaction of the news.

He looked around The Great Hall at all the many faces of the houses now bonded in their shared hate for Umbridge. He eventually pinpointed the blonde hair of Luna Lovegood, but the bleach blonde of her cousin was nowhere to be seen.

_~ O ~_

He did find Echo, eventually.

Ever since Umbridge's announcement at dinner, Neville's had both eyes and ears open for the little Hufflepuff, reporting to Luna whenever he heard or saw a glimmer of her, but sadly with the same sad news Luna had to share.

It was that night right before he decided to go to sleep. He was wondering the halls just once more with a lie ready in his head if he were caught, when a thought occurred to him to travel the staircases.

Echo brought Neville up to the room a number of times since their fourth year and though he hasn't stepped foot inside since last school year, Neville remembers the large room with the high ceilings and windows. It was quite peaceful inside that held a sense of ownership and privacy and openness that wasn't found anywhere else on the grounds, especially this year. Noise from elsewhere in the castle never seemed to penetrate the walls and he saw how Echo liked the place so much. It provided a place to think, a place to relax, and come down from from all the craziness in the world. You could easily get lost in your own world up there, which happened to them very often.

There, they'd already spent multiple nights just gazing at the moon outside, talking or not, forgetting about school and about the trouble in the world. About rogue prison-breakers or mean teachers or nagging grandmothers. Many nights they've woken up on the floors having dozing off in the night by accident and having to rush to class that morning.

Neville would lie if he said the place hadn't grown to be a little special to him by now.

So, when he rose to the stairs, careful to make sure no authorities saw or heard him, he was surprised to see a small, sad figure that looked like it had been thrown on the front of the sixth floor. The wide doorway that would have led into the hallway of sixth floor was boarded up with wooden planks that Neville guessed that only Finch had done.

The wind had gone from Neville's lungs and his hands became cold and clammy. The bundle of white moved rhythmically as the person was asleep.

Neville's eyes lowered to the floor and took in Echo's sad, slumped figure curled on the ground there, still in her nightgown from some night before. He couldn't guess how long she'd been there, when exactly she found out about the room because she wasn't at dinner. Her cheek was to the cold stone and an arm sprawled in front of her, her feet falling to the next step below and face stained from the salt of tears. Her bright hair was wild and she looked like a sad, ruined mess you'd want to step over.

Neville wouldn't suspect anything else.

That painting bad been her years work, literally, going on her third year working on it by now.

Neville took in the sad slump on the steps and wanted to join her.

He crouched down, heard a sniffle, and rubbed her shoulder to wake up. He spoke her name softly, hoping she wouldn't wail. Echo sniffed again and began blubbering onto the stone again.

She was completely heartbroken.

He quieted as she started crying again, praying, wishing in hushed, blubbering words.

"Why? Why did they do that?" she asked once, through the tears.

Neville didn't have an answer.

She wailed.

Her fingernails were broken and chipped and skin red from trying to pull the wood from the doorway. Earlier, she had thrown herself at it with all her might, kicking, pounding until she slid down the boards to the floor, fat tears falling from her eyes from the evil filling this castle. The boards were strong wood and placed by a charm she didn't know how to rid.

"It's gone!" She cried to Neville. "I got to get in there! They made it gone!"

He didn't know what to do beside stare back at her wide, terrified eyes.

Echo ran to the boards again, pounding on them with her small fists. Neville had to run to her side and grab her before she woke the castle. She cried and Neville held her fists from the wood to stop her. He whispered for her to be quiet, since the castle was quiet now and her cries echoed. She fought but not for long. He told her that she couldn't go in, that there was no way of getting the boards down. Echo repeated that it was gone, that it was all gone. She was shaking.

"Why?" she kept repeating.

She tore herself apart trying to get to her work that was already taken from her.

She cried. Neville apologized.

That night, Echo cried the hardest for one of the few times in her life. Echo Bell cried herself almost to passing out. Neville Longbottom apologizing repeatedly for something not his fault or doing, and found himself comforting the one who had been his sun. Echo had been so bright even through her injury and disability, through the belittling and wrongdoing. And now he was the one holding her close and comforting her on the edge of the steps. Echo had been the one who always was able to look on the bright side of things, until the one thing that she had was taken away.

And now, she looked like the small child she was years ago, curled into herself, trembling.

It was now his turn to remind the optimist that optimism was key.

* * *

**_There are four more chapters left just so you know._**


	11. Saturn I - structure

**_I've wanted to write another short story which would be a parallel to Neptune. Would you all read it? It would be about another set of HP characters and would take place at the same time as this one. It would have more drama and probably be rated M. What do you think of that? Does it sound like an okay idea? _**

**_Also, I really do appreciate the feedback I get for this story. Thank you so much! This chapter ended up being long too as I was writing it, so here's the first part! _**

**_[Disclaimer:_**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Saturn _** _Structure_

* * *

_"Strong wind at my back so I  
I lift up the only sail that I have,  
This tired little white flag._

_(White flag, white flag...  
White flag, white flag...)"_

**Sixth Year:**

Luna wasn't a bad kid, as much as others wanted to label her as. In fact, she didn't apply to any labels, really. She likes to think of herself as her own woman, as she liked to put it. She was confident, courageous, intelligent, openminded—a perfect Ravenclaw, in Echo's opinion. But Luna always brushed the compliment aside, stating that Echo was just as wonderful as she was.

Well, Echo didn't quite believe that.

Ever since that announcement that Umbridge made before being kicked out of Hogwarts, Luna noticed her cousin's change and how she seemed to retreat more into herself. It was like Echo had begun taking a step forward with Professor Lupin's therapy, and now it was two steps back.

She had gotten worse. Echo didn't sleep much, her mother had told Xenophilius Lovegood in passing. Echo rarely talks and most times she just curls into herself in her bed and stares outside. Sometimes she cried too, and her mother just didn't know exactly why or what to do.

Echo's mother tried speaking to Luna about it, but the girl was always vague and said she didn't know if it was any of her business to share. But Luna always did say that Echo would be fine when she returned to Hogwarts. Her friends were there that would help, girls named Gretchen, Isabelle, and Grace. Luna would be there and so would Neville, Susan. Echo's mother knew very little about her daughter's friends, mainly because Echo never spoke of them and her mother was nervous to upset her daughter.

She didn't want her daughter to return to Hogwarts, since Echo was injured there in the first place but remembered how Echo had begun getting better—until that wench Umbridge took over, that is. Something had happened there that made her daughter distraught, and Echo's mother wanted to prevent anything else from happening. She missed the days her little girl was more exuberant, smiled more. She knew Echo's recovery was quickening but still...

She hated that Umbridge just as much as every other student had.

Luna and Xenophilius agreed.

_~ O ~_

It's funny how time flies. Just a year ago it felt like they were hearing about that giant serpent in the pipes. Sometimes it was hard to believe that five years have passed since they all met that first year coming into Hogwarts. And if looking back, so many have changed, even if they wouldn't agree. If Harry was younger, if he looked at himself today he wouldn't have been able to recognize his older self. He thought of this laying shirtless in bed. It was an absentminded musing that showed in the way his fingers played with the tousled head of brown curls asleep on his chest. He wouldn't move in fear of waking her up, even though she would have hated falling asleep like this.

She would disprove of this. He preferred it.

So many of Harry and his friends have transformed into people he wasn't sure they were proud of yet. It was trying times—they were in the middle of war, after all—and many of the things he thought of now were of questionable morals.

It was their sixth year, not even four months in and hell was already breaking loose. The year had started off fine, normal even, with the usual Hogwarts Express and new classes and meeting new students—with a few inconvenient circumstances.

George and Fred have dropped out of school. Ginny was dating Dean. There was constant tension, even slight, between Hermione and Ron. Neville was noticeably hanging around Luna and some strange girl more, but was improving greatly in studies and magic. Colin wasn't as annoying anymore, and Angela frequently asked about Fred. Dumbledore had been alarmingly silent, not speaking to Harry at all so far this school year. And Harry…well, Harry has gotten on a different track rather than what others—and himself—would have suspected.

He twirled a blonde curl around his finger.

Everyone was turning out differently than originally thought, then what they thought when they were younger.

So could be said about Hannah.

Since their early years, Hannah Abbott had been one of the few who had been kind to Echo, not wanting to judge the girl by rumors rather her own opinions. She had been with Echo when she went crying in the bathrooms, when she couldn't sleep from nightmares after her attack, when others would ridicule her. But now, she was becoming bitter. She had been bitten but the bug and infected with the green eyed monster, and it was starting to show.

First, it begun with her brushing Echo away, and then ignoring the girl completely. Hannah knew she was causing the girl more hurt but Hannah didn't know how to deal with her own feelings at the moment. So she alienated herself. She stopped speaking to Echo directly, and when she did, she almost always felt her lip curl and an angry, hot feeling bubbling up in her chest.

Hannah was jealous. She was envious of Echo, of having people care and support her so. Hannah saw Susan Bones, Luna, Neville, and the few others Echo hung around and how close all seemed to be—almost like family. She especially saw it with Echo's relationship with Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. Hannah has seen it since third year and wanted that closeness. She saw the way Echo and Luna were so close, like they were actual siblings despite being a year apart; she saw the way Echo would grab Neville's hand and look at him like he was the world.

Hannah wanted that.

But she didn't exactly want to appear inconsiderate, so she almost completely stopped talking to Echo Bell unless necessary. Unless Neville approached with her.

She wondered if she was getting it from the students she has started hanging around, several of being in Slytherin. It wouldn't be a surprise, to her. In Hannah's mind, just like most of those in Hogwarts, she believed the stigma of Slytherin house being nothing but conniving and bad. She _was_ hanging around one girl who had gotten her boyfriend through a love potion slipped into his butterbeer. The girl had saw her opportunity, and she took it.

Hannah wasn't a bitter person, but she could feel herself becoming one.

_~ O ~_

"Luna~!"

The blonde ceased her slow stroll and turned at hearing her name called. She turned to see her cousin running her way, robe billowing behind her and white side bangs in the wind. Luna was caught off guard. She was taking her restroom break to muse about the halls and not expecting to see another. But what she was even more surprised was the openmouthed look on her cousin's face as she ran, the corners of her mouth curving up.

"E-Echo…?"

"Luna, Luna!" Echo shouted.

Luna blinked.

"Guess what!" Echo came to a stop at her cousin's side.

Luna blinked.

"You know that new teacher, Slughorn? He's…there's this club he's starting and he was asking for you. It's-it's this fancy club only special people can get into and I told him about you and I think you can get in!" Echo was breathless. Luna wondered how much she had been running.

"Why was he asking for?"

"Harry Potter's friends."

Oh. Well.

"It's something called the Slug Club, if I remember right. And Neville got in, I think!"

Luna forced a small smile. "Well that's great…"

Her older cousin beamed at her.

This was a shock in itself. Luna hasn't seen a smile on her cousin's face for years but she knew better than to say something discouraging to this girl. It was a small smile that curved a the slight corners of her mouth, but the excited look in her eye had returned. They had only been back at Hogwarts for four months and Luna wondered what had happened, what potion she drank that made her this way. She also noticed that she stopped getting her hair trimmed i the back, and it was now an uneven messy style that reached to the end of her neck.

Echo was a precious girl, a girl who believed with all her might in things impossible but who was as fragile as parchment, older Luna knew from experience and having grown up with her. She knew Echo's limitations and what could break her, and she the same for Luna. But as the young Lovegood took the wrist of her cousin and pulled her into a hug before accompanying her down her stroll, she didn't know that that harm was just around the corner.

Neither Luna nor Neville got in the club, however. Luna hadn't been searched for by Slughorn, that was just mishearing on Echo's part.

It was with Susan Bones and Isabelle Banks of Hufflepuff as to why Echo was so chipper this afternoon. Susan, after speaking with Luna, did some investigating of her own and found out the jinxes and charms used on Echo by the nurses in the hospital wing, along with Isabelle's help. They calculated a guessing amount of how many times it had been placed on her, which passed the safety amount for a patient. It must have been due to some lacking of keeping up with the data somewhere down the line. They took this information to Professor Sprout, And after it being carried up to Dumbledore as soon as he regained his Headmaster's position, those nurses were fired and after a few more months of recreational treatment and charms, Echo was doing much better.

So much more that she was beginning to smile.

Everyone was starting to see it. Classmates, administrators. Echo would glare at Finch when she walked past and he would jump at her and she'd sprint down the hall. Echo would raise her hand proudly, and through she would still sometimes jumble her words, she proved she was just as smart as those who made fun of her. She was more involved in The Care of Magical Creatures and found she was taking the same Muggle Studies courses as Hermione Granger. But she wasn't as talkative as she once was, years ago. She didn't give her onslaught of questions, and really, that was the only thing that was really different.

It was a gradual process, but Echo was getting better.

_~ O ~_

Echo has never had a crush before. She isn't the type of person to—it just isn't in her makeup to. When the other little girls discussed the topic around her, she could never grasped her mind around it. She has never had any such thoughts as so many of others her age have had, which hadn't aided her teasing either. She was thought even more as an oddment because she had no desire to kiss or sneak into the boys dormitory at late night. This was revealed about a year ago, told from Echo's own lips and with Luna at her side, Luna came out as having a lack of arousal as well. Those like Susan Bones, Angela Johnson, and Ginny Weasley and others who had overheard, were kind and thought it no big deal. But it did put to rest many questions that had been buzzing their heads.

Echo required loyalty, kindness, a patient and understanding heart, and gentleness, only. It also supported why she had turned down Neville's invitation to The Yule Ball those years ago. She just didn't tick that way like some her age, and that was understandable...to some.

Unfortunately, Hermione hadn't been one of those people. Like Hannah, she had turned her nose up a little, more confused than anything but nose turned either way.

It had been when entering The Great Hall, the brunette Gryffindor spotted Neville and Echo walking side by side, a grin on both's faces until they had to part tables. Dean spoke up that he's heard about Echo Bell from a fifth year Gryffindor, Isobel MacDougal, and asked why Neville and Echo not date already. Dean then pointed out—once again—his current romance with Ginny Weasley, much to Ron and Harry's annoyance. That's when Neville revealed that little detail about Echo—like he usually does, blurting things out—and stating that Echo was just a friend. Hermione had this look on her face. Ron took a loud drink from his goblet, and Harry was staring off at some girl down the table.

But it had went over Neville's head. And when he was finger-painting alongside Echo that night in the abandoned room, he told her that he had mentioned that to his friends and Echo froze.

How could she explain to him that it had been something she wasn't sure she had wanted others to know?

Six feet away, Neville was still blabbering talking about something that put a smile to his face.

The problem that Echo saw was not in the information about her, but who heard. She was already well aware of Hannah Abbott's sudden dislike of her and didn't want to make anymore enemies. It was known that Hermione was very logical and literal, and Echo was concerned about that.

Just earlier that day, Echo had went to Hannah with a question about their astrology homework. Hannah answered her question but left afterwards.

"Hey," Neville called, shaking her from her thoughts. He looked over with a crooked smile and fingers still covered in colors of green and grey.

Echo met his gaze with wide eyes.

"You're growing your hair out?"

Echo's hand automatically raised but stopped before she stained her white hair with a rainbow of colors. She shrugged.

Neville told he that it looked nice, though it didn't have a style, and was growing out unevenly.

"You said I should."

He was confused and asked when.

"Fourth year. You said something like _"it would nicer if you grew it out_._"_"

"Oh." Neville resisted rubbing the back of his neck.

_She remembered that long ago?_

"…W-well it does look nice..."

Echo smiled.

_~ O ~_

After her fallout the night Dolores Umbridge boarded up the doorway, Echo had been in pieces. She had been broken, a remembrance of how she had been when she was younger and when she was recovering from the dementors. She had curled up into a ball, wanting to become nothingness and cried for days. And when she was asked what she would be crying for, especially by teachers, she would bawl. She didn't speak much on the train ride home, and Luna kept her in sight. She didn't do much at home either.

It had been the grace of Dumbledore returning and Neville and Luna simultaneously slipping hints about the importance of taking down the boards to the sixth floor, the wooden planks were gone before the end of that school year. And Echo had been ecstatic about it, eyes large and a o-formed lips forming a wide grin on her face for the first time in months. That night, when everyone was asleep, she snuck up there to talk to Azure. They hadn't spoken since the boards were placed and Echo wished she could hug the woman in the portrait.

"Wipe your eyes now, chid," Azure smiled. "Those faint of heart and soul are like dusty in the wind. But," the woman knelt, as if coming closer, "those with a heart that roars and a soul that blazes as bright as the sun, will last forever."

The woman in the painting smiled and Echo gave one with tears of happiness on her cheeks. She returned to class because Azure told her so and was greeted by scolding looks from her professors.

Echo was happy and thats all that mattered.

That's when it all started, her slow yet steady recovery. She had been burdened, troubled and confused. But now she saw that she had real, true friends. And the girls, Grace and Isabelle, and Gretchen noticed the uplifted change in personality and who had been by her side just as long. And despite Hannah's look burning into her back almost everywhere, Echo was recuperating. She could feel it. And it felt uplifting, to having migraines several times a week. Her memory had been improving when Umbridge came into office. With Neville and Luna's teaching, her magic was now stronger though she still ran from bullies. And from the help of her two closest friends, her life was beginning to improve.

She visited the abandoned class room less frequently now, and usually in the company of her cousin.

Echo talked that how she wondered how Professor Lupin would say, if he would be proud of her by now. She still struggled more—like anyone—but she was the one helping Neville when he forgot something or fixed Susan Bone's potion if she messed up and before Snape saw. Her magic and grades had increased noticeably. Echo was smiling for the first time in months.


	12. Saturn II - restriction, pessimism

**_[Disclaimer:_**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Saturn _** _Restriction, pessimism_

* * *

There was a rumor going around that Isobel of Gryffindor, known for having the title of innocent and pure, and who is in the same year as Ginny, was in a _very_ _physical_ relationship with one of the boys at Hogwarts. It was a small rumor spun purely on suspicion, but it was one that her older brother had not taken lightly.

Her brother was in Slytherin and on his last year at Hogwarts. And when his disapproval and bottled anger was revealed about the situation, Harry had seemed the most on edge, oddly enough. It wasn't like _he_ had any involvement in the scandal—Harry didn't even know the boy Isobel was with.

Harry had been seen talking with Isobel on a few occasions, but that didn't leave room for him to be looking over his shoulders or why his eyes bugged when he was told of Isobel's brother's promise to hex the boy terribly should he ever be found. It's not like Harry needed any more reasons to be worried, Hermione thought. So why was it any of his concern…?

This didn't shake it from Hermione's mind however. The brunette has had suspicions about the other girl since year four, and this did nothing to improve Isobel's view in Hermione's eyes. It only worsened it. But still, she would go to bed and Hermione would give her a knowing eye, and she swears that later in the night, Hermione would hear a door open and feet patting past her room door.

But Hermione was smart. She would piece together whatever drama it was sooner or later. She always did.

She always prided herself on her smarts.

_"Oh, Hermione is so smart_," people would say.

_"She's so gifted."_

_"Miss Granger"_ this, and "_Miss Granger"_ that.

It was pressure, it was too much pressure that she didn't want.

Is this how Harry felt?

She sat under a tree not far from Hagrid's hut, throwing rocks in the direction of The Whomping Willow. Her stomach clenched and she leaned over her crossed knees, skimming over one of her textbooks in front of her. She was to be taking notes for an upcoming quiz but she just couldn't quite focus. There was a lot of drama and stories circulating the halls this year and it seemed as if no one was safe from them. In fact, Hermione had some troubles of her own, and it showed when she was given certain looks, when she would laid in her bed before drifting to sleep and it danced around her head.

She didn't like that Ron was with Lavender either. It hurt. It hurt too much...

Is this how Ginny felt about Harry in the beginning? How Justin Finch-Fletchley felt about that Gryffindor girl, Isobel, now that she was probably taken? What about when Ron saw her and Viktor—-

No. She mustn't think about that, about _him_ right now.

If she were to be asked, Hermione would lie and say it didn't hurt seeing the boy that was supposed to be her friend with somebody else. And she would lie and say that she didn't feel anything.

For so long, Hermione is used to bottling her feelings, never letting out too much and never wanting to seem over the top. She was used to speaking her mind to certain degree and made up for it in other aspects.

Like for instance, she knew what she wanted to do in life and all the steps to do so. She knew that she wanted to go to the Slug Club Christmas Party with Cormac McLaggen and accomplished so. It had been going well too, until she realized how clingy he was and it drove her up the wall. She even stooped to hiding away from him at the party, where Harry found her behind the curtains.

"I left Cormac under the mistletoe. ...I thought inviting him would annoy Ron the most. But he's got more tentacles than a snuffula plant!" Hermione revealed, stuffing dragon tartar in her mouth before "_elegantly"_fleeing as Cormac approached.

But Hermione had her own problems. There was Ron, Luna, her suspicions about Isobel, Draco...

Draco… For some reason he has been more…adamant than usual, and Hermione has ran into him more times than she'd like.

The Pureblood still walked around with a permanent scowl etched on his face, but when approaching her in person, he merely dipped his head and kept walking. Hermione would say that his face seemed to relax too but it was never facing her, so she was never sure, which always left her with confusion in her mind.

He wasn't rude, not really. No, he stopped that years ago. Plus his insults were pathetically weak when shot at her that she's stopped being offended.

Well, he wasn't rude to her. But that too was only in private.

She and him have talked on a few occasions, more times than she'd liked to admit. Sometimes it would be back to back in the library or from her way from the bathrooms he would follow, tease a little, but never wave bye. He never did anything of the sort.

Once, when she refused to look at him, Draco told her that he had heard of an incident with a Ravenclaw girl that left her feeling crushed.

"If they ever say that again...I'd get them," is all he whispered and then walked off. Of course this left her even more confused.

Sometimes, Hermione thinks there was something wrong, something he wanted to say. It was probably another insult and she would walk away. When he would speak, it was of normal conversation.

Hermione definitely had her own problems.

But when Katie Bell was jinxed by a necklace meant for Dumbledore, word started spreading rapidly through the school that they still weren't safe from dark forces. Word spread, as it does annually. Many students were bitter about their own troubles, using the necklace as an excuse. That much was obvious, as well as the way Pansy showed it that time she vented briefly when the two ran into each other in the girls restroom. It showed in Isobel's brother's excuse on his lingering anger and bitterness. And Hermione had used it for the times she ran into Draco Malfoy and he was, for once, not a spiteful prick.

Everyone was having their own problems. And The Dark Lord was on the rise.

_~ O ~_

Apparently, word of Isobel's scandalous behavior had gotten around because soon Echo wasn't seeing her anymore. Either the girl was so ashamed she hid from gossiping eyes or she had met an unfortunate dissension. And Echo had a bad feeling about it. Part of her told herself that maybe she shouldn't have told Isobel of that room, the one she told a teary eyed Isobel once of a place that was quiet and rarely passed by students. Because now, no one has seen the Gryffindor for some time.

Just last year, Echo remembers the tale of what had happened in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries Along with I rumors, it was told that Harry Potter had lost his godfather who supposedly was the last of his close family. It was a fact that only Harry's closest friends knew—meaning, those who journeyed to The Department of Mysteries with him. Echo knew of it because of Luna.

Luna had told her cousin, knowing Echo would stay far away from these kinds of situations, also since Echo could care less about Harry personally. Echo has heard the stories, had seen some herself.

She didn't really like Potter but she agreed with what he stood for, what he believed in in this war. He had been mean and rude to Echo like so many before, but Luna knew that since she was his friend, someone needed to know her story. To be honest, Luna was beginning to grasp that possibly she wouldn't return one day, and Echo was the one she trusted to not twist the story and speak only the truth. So, she told Echo everything. Of their journey, of the fight with the Death Eaters, of their plans of resurrecting Dumbledore's Army. Echo wouldn't be a part of it but she needed to know; Luna needed her to be safe. Luna needed to tell someone.

"Sometimes I don't know what to do and it seems a bit overwhelming," Luna chatted, tone calm and melodious as normal.

She had leaned over and gave Echo a tight hug.

Echo returned it but she herself was worried. She didn't like this war but what could she do? She had the same fear as her cousin—she hoped that the fight, when it came down to it, was nowhere near herself or those she cared for. She had these fears but never spoke of them out loud.

_~ O ~_

Echo returned to the hospital wing only once that year, and it was for a checkup by the new staff. These nurses were nicer and listened when she said she was uncomfortable. But after failing one test, Echo was ordered to stay overnight and as soon as her friends caught ear of this, they were beside her bed.

"It'd be a shame you won't be coming back tonight," Grace spoke. "I hear there was going to be a raid in the kitchen for the best pastries the elves never put out and then we were going to sneak up to the Astronomy tower."

Echo had grabbed Neville and forced him to sit beside to her on the cot, his arms folded across his chest and Echo wrapped around on of his arms. She responded to Grace with a shocked look.

Echo was disappointed that she would be missing out. Neville gave both girls an incredulous look. He had no idea those in Hufflepuff were like this and thought Echo was the only one who was so…risky.

Isabelle was the one who gave him an implying smirk watching Echo snuggle more into his side. She cooed about how she thought Neville and Echo looked together but the blonde dismissed it, assuring they were just friends. Isabelle rolled her eyes.

Echo spoke in a hush that she thought that there was someone who had an eye for Neville and when he asked who, Echo just smiled.

"She's in my year, but I'm not sure you two know each other…"

"Then what makes you think she would…um, you know?" He didn't want to say it, to get his own hopes up.

"Because. _I know_. I just know."

It was Hannah Abbott Echo had in mind, but she would never say. She would only respond with a toothy grin. She thought the two were a good match since seeing both together when Hagrid begun teaching Care for Magical Creatures. But also, Echo thought if it were meant to happen, it would.

When she left the wing the next morning, she ran into Hannah again. Luckily this time she had Grace and Isabelle at her sides, and when the other Hufflepuff spoke downgrading to the recovering blonde, her two friends were there, flanking Echo and leaving Hannah behind.

Isabelle pulled Echo into a tight hug.

_~ O ~_

It was morning now and students were back from Christmas break. School has gone back to its usual bustling.

Over the break, Echo and Luna's families celebrated Christmas, something that hadn't happened for years. It was wonderful, Echo thought. It was nostalgic, comforting, and warm, something she missed, and Luna was almost able to forget about the coming danger. They hadn't seen their friends but now they had gifts to show.

But now they were back in school, and Echo entered The Great Hall alongside her two friends. Grace was going on bout something that had to do with Romilda Vane and Katie Bell. It was some gossip that Echo tuned out. She doesn't like gossip.

Apparently something had happened with Romilda that Echo missed. And when she asked about it, Grace only turned around to where Lavender Brown sat glaring at Ron Weasley. Ron and his friends looked back at the Gryffindor before huddling together and whisper.

It's been weeks since Isobel went missing and Harry was no longer jumpy. Echo noticed that when she had class with Gryffindor earlier that day—she noticed because he no longer drew her attention like he had when the slightest touch ruffled him. Also, she did see him on the front page of The Daily Prophet over the break, but Echo didn't look at it. It was only in passing. Luna had pulled her along, restricting Echo from seeing more but not missing the stricken look on Xenophilius' face.

Isobel's brother was readying for graduation and Dumbledore must have spoke something about the girl to the staff. But there were too many culprits, too many angry and judgmental people right now to get a true answer.

Echo saw it. She saw it all. And her worry grew worse. She wanted to kick herself, regretting telling Isobel about that extra room and fearing the girl had gotten locked in their by accident.

They'd find out when when she comes back as a ghost…right?

Echo didn't like this. She shuffled a small valve in her left hand, cereal spoon in her right and two friends chatting across from her.

They were in The Great Hall at the moment for breakfast. Not far, Echo could see the blonde head of Draco entering The Hall. She say his eyes look up and lock with Hermione Granger, and Echo saw her look down, almost squeamish or shyly. No one else saw; she then caught Luna approach front he other side of the room and sit beside the golden trio, starting a conversation, it seemed.

Echo saw it. She saw it all.

Isabelle called for her attention. She was asked a question and smiled, her eyes crinkling. Isabelle said something about her hair, inquiring that it was getting longer and offered hair clips. Echo shook her head. Grace commented that when Echo's hair grew out in the back, that they could do more hair styles together.

The day before, Hufflepuff had potions class with Professor Slughorn. Each student was partnered to a cauldron and assigned to make Felix Felicis, liquid luck. There were three winners that class, one of which was Echo's group who brewed it successfully and Slughorn was shocked twice that day.

Echo rubbed the valve with her thumb under the table, slowly spooning cereal to her mouth. Isabelle added colorful hair clips in Echo's hair as she ate. She just didn't want her bangs to be readjusted; no one was to touch her bangs that fell in front of her eyes and tickled her chin. Echo's white-blonde hair int he back fell right at the end of her neck now.

The day before when Echo received her own bit of liquid luck, she had seen Professor Trelawney. During her free time, Echo went to see her professor in questioning about their homework. Secretly, Echo wanted to tell her about her run in with Isobel and her fear with Death Eaters. Echo found comfort int he psychic and was used to visiting her office.

But that day, Trelawney had not been in the best state. The woman was staring off in empty space, mumbling to herself. And when Echo asked for clarification, Trelawney spoke something about the lost of the twelfth one who entered the high tower, the tower that looked up to the stars, when the earth would shake and kin fought against kin.

Echo had pulled back in shock. She would have fled from the room if Trelawney hadn't snapped out of her trace and called the student back. Eventually, Echo did spill her fear and regret. She regretted telling Isobel about empty spaces to cry across the castle and feared she was responsible why the Gryffindor wasn't here anymore.

Back in The Great Hall, the talking between Grace and Isabelle died down as Hannah Abbott walked past. Both girls eyed the Hufflepuff, purposely making her uncomfortable, until Hannah stopped.

"What're you staring at," Isabelle called.

Hannah scrunched her nose. She began to answer but stopped noticing Echo watching her too.

"Don't you look at me!" she spat at the blonde.

"You," Grace stood from her seat, "don't talk to her like that! She's done nothing to you. You got a problem, you go through us!"

Isabelle stood at her side.

Hannah wrinkled her nose further as if catching a pungent smell. "As if. Why would I ever waste my time with you?" She began walking off when Grace called her back.

"Because you used to. We used to be friends back when you had a heart and soul. Now don't try to act like you're better than us!"

"We know where you sleep at night!" Isabelle called, a pun that they were all in the same house.

Hannah whirled around and snapped insults, and the other two called some right back.

The was not a good morning. Echo shrank more in her seat as the three girls' voices rose in volume, yelling about her, until Grace shouted "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

It was not a good way to start that morning. Though later, after it had been buzzing around in her head, Hannah would approach the three girls again. She would come with a head down and Echo's two friends would flank her sides, and Hannah would admit that she was wrong, that she let her jealousy get the best of her. Hannah apologized and admitted that she was wrong. Though Isabelle and (mostly) Grace weren't going to let it slide that quickly, Echo was the one who gave Hannah a tight hug days later.

But right now, back in The Great Hall, class was about to start, and conversation ceased when Luna approached. Echo put down her spoon. Luna greeted the girls with a smile and plopped down beside Grace.

Now, since Isabelle and Grace were close friends with Echo, they knew that she and crazy Luna Lovegood were related. At first, they were put off by Echo's younger cousin, believing more of the rumors that made her out as a nutcase she really was not. They found this out in time too, as well that Gretchen was not a true friend, since she abandoned them soon after. Isabelle had always had her doubts about Gretchen and was relieved when she left.


	13. Uranus I - eccentricity, upheaval

**_This is long and since it's covering the first half of the final year, expect the second part of the chapter soon._**

**[Disclaimer:**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Uranus _** _eccentricity, upheaval_

* * *

_"I'm only honest when in rains  
If I time it right the thunder breaks  
When I open my mouth, I want to tell you but I don't know how."_

**Seventh Year:**

_The sun; it was always so warm..._

_"Dad, look what I found!"_

_They used to go to the beach. A lot. It wasn't very far away from the house they used to have, before moving when she was seven. They would spend the whole day out there when her mother was away. She liked to work...so Xenophilius was one of the ones who watched them the most often._

_"What do you think it is?"_

_After thinking for a moment, the six year old stated as a-matter-of-factly that the tracks must belong to an imp._

When they were much younger, Xenophilius used to take his daughter and Echo to the nearby beach. They would play in the waves, search the sand and nearby land, toes scratched and nipped by tiny crabs and rocks. Other days, Xenophilius would take them on little hikes in the forest. Luna would complain about it if she was tired or hungry while Echo would stare wide-eyed at a shimmering plants Xenophilius explained.

Luna never was into magical creatures and plants, not the way Echo was, not back then. Luna liked them, yes, but it was more of Echo's passion—Echo's always been crazy about them, soaking the information like a sponge. Luna never liked them, not as much as her cousin. Now, however, that all seems to be changing.

It happened sometime between the two months after her mother's funeral and on her eleventh birthday that Luna realized she had been sucked in just as deep as Echo had. And by the middle of her second year at Hogwarts, Luna's head was buzzing with every possibility of magical creature she could spot or think of. She kept it secret at first until it clicked to Echo who blurted it out one Christmas Eve to the family. Xenophilius's eyes had held a sparkle and Echo's mother just smiled.

Echo still kept the starfish and sand dollar found in the ocean that day from all those years ago. One hangs on her wall and the other by a set of books, near a dead flower she picked while out with Neville once in the school yard. She likes keeping little trinkets, little bits of memories, she calls them.

Echo looks at the clock on the opposite wall from the bed. She would be walking the halls of Hogwarts again around this time tomorrow.

Her mother didn't like it though. Ever since hearing about the rising of Voldemort, Echo's mother has put a fuss about how she didn't want her daughter back at that school. The stories were all in the papers, it is what was whispered in the streets, and privately Mrs. Bell didn't know what to make of Potter and all this craziness that was happening. She didn't like that her daughter was attending the same school with such a trouble-magnet and so close to danger. She just wanted her daughter to be safe and protected...

Echo reassured her mother that she doubted Harry would return to Hogwarts year. That would be the right thing to do, the smart thing.

Echo smiled to her mother who would cup her face and kiss her forehead, and Echo would send a thankful grin to Xenophilius who finally convinced Mrs. Bell that her daughter would fine.

Privately, Echo knew for a fact that Harry wouldn't be returning. Part of it was common sense; the other was from a brief brush with Colin Creevey.

Xenophilius convinced Echo's nervous mother that her daughter would be in good hands as long as both she and Luna stayed together. And he would be right, but of being of different houses, they would not see each other as often. And Voldemort was closing in.

_~ O ~_

But it wasn't going to be alright. Who were they kidding?

Neville gripped the metal bars along the side of his mother's bed.

Nothing was going to be fine. There was a battle coming and one would be lying if they didn't feel it. Neville knew it. It circled the halls of Hogwarts, that is why Dumbledore was murdered last year, and that's why Harry wasn't returning this year most likely.

He remembered standing in the crowd of follow students and Hogwarts staff, raising their wands to the sky at their Headmaster's fall. He remembered the stiff feeling in the air, the tears in Minerva McGonagal's eyes and Hermione near him.

Neville's grandmother, Augusta, was further off near the third floor entry door of St Mungo's.

Neville's fingers tightened around the bars at the side of the hospital bed and he ground his teeth together, brows wrinkling together at watching the violent flailing of his mother under her restraints. Nearby, his father was babbling incoherent, mad nothings, and Neville's knuckles were beginning to turn white. The look on his face could have been mistaken for anger at how far his brows arched.

But he wasn't angry; not at them, but he _was _angry. He was angry at all this, all this mess that was going on, at all these murders happening around them, how these murderers were after his friend. They were after all their families, and the one person that could protect them was now dead. He was angry that all this was happening and he felt so powerless; they all felt so powerless and didn't know how to stop it.

Neville flinched when his mother's flailing hand scratched his and hissed in pain at the red scratch her nails left.

His own parents are crazed because of those same murderers and he feared that there may be more like them to come soon, that those same murderers will scramble the minds of those he once cared for and stood proudly next to and he wouldn't be able to save them—he already knew someone whom he had almost lost to similar circumstances. He feared that those murderers will fill up St Mungo's of other unfixables. He feared that he would be among them.

_The smiling face of Echo, Dean, Harry, Ginny, Luna, Hannah, all turned into blank, slobbering, and brain dead in his mind._

He didn't want there to be anymore that would have to sacrifice like his parents did.

Neville squeezed his eyes shut and his mother continued screaming. His father's meaningless rambling grew in volume, and a tear slipped from Neville's squeezed eye.

His mother shook the bed and he had to hold himself back from shaking it back in frustration.

He wished they were hear to help him, tell him what to do...

Neville jumped a little hearing his grandmother's voice suddenly echo across the room, calling for him.

"It's time to go." Augusta had left her grandson to give his condolences to his parents before leaving St Mungo's for their monthly visit. She, like any witch or wizard, had heard of the rising of the Death Eaters and wasn't liking the news one bit.

She watched him trot back to the door and in her direction, his head down. Augusta swung an arm around her tall grandson's way Her height now came to his chest and Augusta wondered where the time went, when this growth spirt hit.

"You have school tomorrow," she murmured as they neared the exit of the hospital. "I'll be making herby toad in the hole tonight, and then you have to get to get your sleep."

Since Neville's fifth year, Augusta hadn't had a need to remind him of things as such—when to eat, to brush his teeth, clothe, to go to sleep. He was far more responsible than that. It was more for comfort for herself though she would never admit it.

Neville only nodded in response, out of respect.

Augusta pulled him closer, in a sort of awkward side hug. "It'll be alright, you big lug," she smiled. "You're mucher than those flooks. You got both of your parents' courage in ya, their sturdiness, and stubbornness."

She gave a weak chuckle at a memory and looked up at the sun hidden behind clouds. It would be setting soon and they needed to hurry home. The streets were no longer safe at night.

"Thing's be alright, Neville," she muttered again. "Be alright…"

_~ O ~_

September 1st came around quickly and Ginny was very wary about leaving for school. One reason being her family; the other: she knew that it would only be trouble that awaited them at Hogwarts. She felt it in the air. And she was glad that she wasn't the only one who felt the same—Luna admitted that there was unusual tension this train ride, and held an air of wariness.

Luna had lost sight of Echo after boarding The Hogwarts Express. The bleach blonde had been too excited to see her friends again that she departed immediately in search of Grace and Isabelle, most likely in the Hufflepuff car. Luna stood for a moment in the small walkway, considering whether to call after her cousin and deciding against it. Echo was fine even though she was a bit spacey in the head. Luna knew it was just her worrying about her family, and the Death Eaters.

She remembered she wouldn't see Harry or the other two and that was why she was worried, what brought her worrying back. They were so close to the threat, and she knew it, which also put everyone they knew in the crossfire.

Luna had stood in the narrow walkway and watched Echo run down the left way, dark purple coat flying. That's one thing Luna needed to leave alone: Echo. She was like a raw discovery, Echo was, unscathed by many and brought a freshness in the air. Echo always seemed to make things seem new, alive, and much more interesting, even things you've known for years. She was always so optimistic and things of the same energy just gravitated to her. This wasn't needed to be said—it could be seen upon one conversation with her.

Echo was odd but she was pure and needed to be kept that way.

Luna had watched her older cousin run off and stood looking after her before smiling to herself and taking a right in search for her friends.

In the far car, Luna managed to find Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom among other seventh years. Using codewords for certain names and places of course, Ginny explained that a disaster had hit her home and that her brother, Ron, along with Hermione and Harry were off trying to put an end to all this. She explained that no one was safe for the time being—everyone knew. And sure enough, no more than twenty minutes later at the sound of The Express's whistle, two tall, and dark men sauntered down the aisle of their car, sunken eyes shifting and casting a cold, hollow feeling in the air.

When the two Death Eaters boarded The Hogwarts Express, it was Neville Longbottom, the unlucky fool, that literally stood toe to toe with them, making them leave with "hey losers, he isn't here." And when the air lifted with the Death Eaters' departure and the expected rapid spread of word, Echo came rushing into the car followed by Isabelle and Grace, throwing herself around Luna's neck first expressing loudly her worry before wrapping around Neville's arm again, much to his embarrassment and concern. Isabelle was the only one who voiced how cute it looked with Echo hugging his arm as he left to a separate car, the gang in tow.

There was a wide smile spread across Echo's face, one she hasn't worn for such a long time it made heat rise in Neville's face.

Echo's light blonde hair in the back brushed just below her neck now, her side bangs reaching past her collar bone and still covered her eyes in the front. She only let Neville, Luna, Grace or Isabelle brush it to the side to see her eyes.

The six of them packed into a compartment room and discussed the possibilities this year and she couldn't be happier amongst all her friends. Even though they were approaching death and danger with each mile The Express traveled, Echo would hug Neville's arm like a stuffed bear and her eyes would wrinkle in a smile at all the conversation and souls around her.

In time, she fell asleep, head still tilted upward, resting on and wrapped around his right arm. He brushed her bangs away from her eyes once. He didn't move or dare to wake her until she awoke ten minutes before coming to Hogwarts, expressing how she dreamed about cauldron cakes and now wanted one.

_~ O ~_

When it was found out that Isobel's disappearance was solved, there had been a shift in things. Her body was found cold and stiff behind a locked door on the fourth floor. No one thought to look there, thinking it was just an old broom closet locked for years and it was the ghost Fat Friar that found her body. She had been murdered and her brother was furious. McGonagal had been devastated, Flitwick saddened. There was even a noticeable difference in Professor Snape's behavior. And those of Alicia Spinnet, Dean Thomas, and Katie Bell those that knew her morned her death, though privately. She had been quite well known.

But despite her death, there was an unspoken, unknowing switch to things at Hogwarts as well. Hannah was happier, karma was returning to Gretchen who had been attacked by bowtruckles, Draco was no longer such an arrogant git, and many were starting to stick up for themselves and aware of the injustice around them.

News of Isobel's death had spread and it dawned on students that they weren't safe even in the walls of their magical school. It opened their eyes that even one of them could be killed at any given time. And from that, Ginny and Neville set off to revive the DA.

Taking the idea from Grace who provided supplies, the two Gryffindors advertised in graffiti one night past curfew that there are recruiting for Dumbledore's Army. The next day, students gathered under the works done throughout the school.

It was dark outside and Echo stared up where her two friends had written the recruitment ad on the stone just the day before. It had been washed off now but the message stayed, it stuck in people's minds. The two Gryffindors were being punished currently by spending the night in the forbidden forest, alongside Hagrid.

Echo stared up at the blank stone, frowning.

Her bangs fell over her eyes to her chin, and she stilled, listing for footsteps. She then reached into her robe's pockets and inside the small charmed sacks there. Both small sacks were charms to hold the paint and wouldn't spill even if upturned. Echo's fingers dripped with green and red. She reached as far as she could on tiptoe, and wrote her own message. The DA was reviving and the students weren't unaware of their surroundings.

Things hadn't been the same at Hogwarts and it was beginning to jeopardize every students' safety. Ginny and Neville have already started to take action. They've all got to start fending for themselves now as well as pass their classes.

_~ O ~_

Grace trembled before the class of Muggle Studies. From being friends with a muggleborn herself, she had spoken up out of defense—it had been out of defiance to call Alecto Carrow false, that "the natural order is falling back into place" and that muggles were more animalistic. Grace had called her new instructor out, said what she was telling was not true and propaganda. Grace had revealed Isabelle as being a muggleborn but only as evidence this was all untrue.

Alecto grew a wide, twisted smile at this and Isabelle's horrified. Grace meant no harm, honest, but the mistake had been made.

"Then prove me wrong," Alecto spoke, curling a slim hand around Grace's shoulder.

Grace stood with her wand grasped in her hands. She sniffed.

The class remained silent watching the three in the front of the room.

"Prove me wrong, that muggleborns _aren't_ as animalistic as their species. When you strike this one down and it not fight, then you prove your point," the woman had whispered in the Hufflepuff's ear.

Grace didn't move. Her hands shook and tears brimmed in her eyes. Alecto terrified her just like so many other students. Muggle Studies had so many drop outs since finding out one of The Carrows was teaching it.

"Raise your wand!" Alecto ordered and Grace flinched.

When she didn't do as told, Alecto grabbed Grace's arm and raised it outstretched herself.

"Say it, you rugrat!"

Isabelle watched horrified from her position. Alecto had ordered her to stand, wandless, across from Grace at the front of the class.

Grace shook her head furiously, defying yet again.

"_Say it!_" Alecto screamed, and Grace felt something poke her back. It was Alecto's own wand.

The rest of the class and Echo watched in horrified silence and baited breath.

"Or," Alecto continued, "I'll hex _you_ instead." The Death Eater's eyes widened in bloodlust. "Wonder how it'll be to see you dancing with your robes on fire and slugs coming from your mouth… Maybe I'll try that on the mudblood after I'm done with you?"

Grace felt a sharp pain in her back where Alecto's wand touched, and the Death Eater whisper cursed words behind her ear.

Some shuffled in their seats, muscles tense and ready to jump if violence happened.

Grace's arm shook and tears brimmed in her eyes.

That was almost an hour ago. Now, Grace sat between Dean Thomas and Echo Bell, the latter applying burn-healing paste on Grace's back as she lifted her shirt in the back where the burn marks Alecto's wand left. Dean held the bandages for Echo and Isabelle sat across from them at the table, watching, looking guilty and miserable. She hadn't been able to stand up to Alecto either, and only managed to leave unscathed by narrowly avoiding a Expulso curse.

This study hall was filled with students and the four of them took up one of the circular tables.

Dean was telling them about Dumbledore's Army in coded words and convincing them to join. No one but him spoke, and anger boiled in Grace's mind. He traveled with Echo table to table to tend to other victims of The Carrows before they came to Grace. Echo had paused when seeing her friend's wound and hearing the story.

Grace agreed with a simple "yes" without hesitation when Dean asked. It was Isabelle and Echo that glanced at each other for a moment.

That day, three more soldiers joined The Army.

An administrator patrolled the aisles between the expansive tables of the study hall. Students either had textbooks open or materials and notes sprawled across the table. But let's be honest: most weren't even worried about studying. Many of those students also had Muggle Studies with Alecto and were not able to switch out.

Echo remembered the first day Alecto walked into the classroom. She remembered the dark, haunting look about Alecto and the craziness that seeped past her calm words. She remembered when she saw students first pinned against each other, purely out of the woman's spite, and the wounds the "loser" received. Echo had felt awful and dreaded the class ever since.

She had went to Pomona Sprout, the head of her house at first, but upon mentioning the incident, Sprout's face turned blue and hushed the girl to not speak of it again. There was no one else to go to since Dumbledore's death and Snape succcessing him. She thought about talking to Flitwick and McGonagal, but the more time went by, the more the head of houses refused to talk about the problem. It was like everyone was waiting, waiting for something to happen.

Students were getting hurt, one died in these very halls, and Echo was running out of options.

No one was safe, the DA was struggling to come back up, and Death Eaters were at every school corner. Everyone was running out of options and hope. No one was safe.

_~ O ~_

"I want to learn something!" Echo clenched her fists. "I want to help, somehow, someway..." She opened her eyes, blinking behind her curtain of hair. "Teach me to help, to heal—something!"

Ginny blinked in surprise. She looked to Lee Jordan sitting next to her but didn't know how to respond.

She, just like others here, knew of the Death Eaters hired to work under the same roofs they slept. But Echo was quiet. She kept to herself and her few friends. She had kept a placid face for years that was slowly turned to a permanent frown. She was one of the least suspected and they knew that she would be a good addition. But how good would she be if she had no helpful skill? This is what she told them, practically on her knees before her one hope.

This was one of the few times they've ever seen the girl express anything other that a blank look, a dreamy stare, or rare smile. All expect Neville, who watched her with a hard frown with folded arms and leaned against a wall. Luna watched the scene from further away.

When Echo stepped in front of Ginny Weasley and others of the DA, her eyes had been begun to fill with tears.

Echo was so emotional; she was such a dear, empathetic thing.

She had clenched her fists and spoke with a strong voice not heard before of how she wanted to aid in anyway possible. She and Isabelle and Grace were apart of the DA and they weren't doing anything, which needed to be fixed.

"I want to help!" she almost shouted.

Just earlier, she had seen a student almost die. Stuck with such a strong spell that it almost dropped their heart to a flatline. It frightened her. This whole school frightened her now.

_Was her mother right…?_

Echo wasn't doing anything and she had seen the scars left by their professors, and had spent her days covering those scars with aloe or whatever healing agents she could remember.

"Then what do you want to work as?" Neville's voice rang across the room. His voice boomed, swallowing Echo's and he raised his chin, hard glare still pointed down at the girl.

Echo let out a little gasp and looked up at the boy leaned against the wall. He was to the right of Ginny and still wore the healing scar across an eyebrow. His loud voice had shook her as well Ginny and the others. No one had ever heard him raise his voice.

"What?" Echo whispered.

Neville pushed off from the wall and walked towards her. "What," he spoke slowly, "do you want to work as? How exactly are you going to help us?"

The nervous look or laughter he used to wear was long gone. No one laughed anymore, and Echo just cried. She cried a lot.

"What are you good at? How can you help the DA?" Voice now calm again, he stood in front of her, looking down at her short stature.

"I…I-I…" She wiped a tear in her blue eye.

"What have you been doing to help anyone these last couple days?" he asked, knowing she would say "I don't know" though hearing how she's been helping heal students.

And Echo told him just that.

Ginny looked from Lee to Neville. Neither said a word as Neville knelt in front of the blonde.

"Then you'll be our healer." He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "Alright Echo?"

A tear finally fell from her other eye and he wiped it off.

He finally forced a smile. "Now tell me of what you have been using. I hope it wasn't boom berries. Some are actually deathly allergic to it," and he led her away and further into the Room of Requirements to discuss medical herbs and potions.


	14. Uranus II - rebellion

**_Thank you for pointing out those grammar mistakes. My computer autocorrects and I must have missed them when looking over that chapter. They're fixed now._**

**[Disclaimer:**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Uranus _** _Rebellion_

* * *

In the passing weeks, The DA was thriving. Meetings were scheduled every three weeks if possible, training happened every night in The Room of Requirements where they also planned their next acts of rebellion. Students were sabotaging the castle and it's authorities left and right and haven't been found out yet. It was going well and advertising about The Army was graffitied on random nights so they wouldn't be predicted. The rebellion was going well aside from those who had been caught in acts like freeing first years chained as punishment, but but it didn't stop. It was tricky, yes, but they had many members.

And thanks to Ginny, George and Fred's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes tricks became an asset, an important one those like Isabelle relied on.

Once, Isabelle mentioned how the twins inspired her. She had to hold in a thunder of laughter when Professor Vector ran out her office, face drooping, and chased by fire fireworks after she planted Wildfire Whiz-Bangs behind her chair and a Skiving Snack Box on her desk

Those of the original DA checked their enchanted coins periodically.

The air was thickening and the Carrows angry and everyone was getting ready. The Death Eaters were becoming restless and all knew that Voldemort was on his way.

Once, as a way of distraction, Grace and Echo drove a teacher up the wall. It was a thin man who reminded them of Quirrell and supporter of the Death Eaters' teaching and Voldemort. They went up to his desk in-between classes and asked questions regarding their classwork which turned into riddles. At first it was amusing to him but when Grace began fretting, he became uncomfortable and nervous himself.

Grace was the one who exaggerated "what if the niffler never meets his mom?!" taking an example he used earlier and took it literally. She worried, knowing that the baby would perish without its mother. Echo spoke when Grace paused, blurting questions and other random things that diverged from their original question about the class material.

Echo spoke off the wall questions, anything about the lesson, anything she could think of. It clearly frustrated the man, not knowing who to pay attention to more—the girl bawling on the carpet at his feet or the one playing with the jar containing flesh-eating slugs.

Grace threw herself to the floor and cried about her fear of failing. "Why are you not listening to me? Do you _want_ me to fail? I can't fail, my parents would burn me at the stake!" Grace started yelling, which put the man off and made him fidget more.

Echo kept a calm facade and asked something about chucking and a wood-something…a woodchuck?

"_What the hell is a woodchuck?!_"

"Would you please go wait out in the hall—-" He turned to Echo to find her playing with a jar filled with a dark, cloudy substance.

"What is this?" She tossed it from one hand to the other. "It's pretty. What'll it do—-"

He snatched the jar from her. "Do not touch that! That's a deadly—-"

Grace continued wailing from the floor. Echo looked the man in the eye and cracked a small smile from behind her hair. With that odd, creepy smile, she blackmailed him, threatened to tell Headmaster Snape of the deadly things he kept in his classroom, putting students at risk. They all knew that Snape would not listen to any excuses, knowing he wanted to protect the students.

She told him that "it would be a shame if all these things were let loose throughout the school—_your_ things."

The man glared at the blonde and Echo directed his attention back to Grace who now grabbed at his pants desperately, pleading. She begged him to help them past the class.

"Get _off_ of me!"

He pushed Grace away, in turn throwing himself against his desk and knocking his remaining corked containers to the floor. Smoke began filling the classroom and the man fled, more than happy to get away from the crazed students, muttering something about Hufflepuffs.

Grace shouted after him that her parents will here about this incident. She then turned to Echo.

"I see why Malfoy says it so much now. It makes them anticipate that coming howler," she grinned before erupting in coughs.

Both girl fled and gave the ok for Michael, Padma, and Lavender to go inside, wrapping clothes around their airways to steal the unused radio collecting dust in the back of the class.

_~ O ~_

Echo remembers when Neville went into hiding.

Prior, her cousin was kidnapped by Death Eaters on the train ride home.

That Christmas was a sullen time at her family's house. Her mother had been of heavy heart and not many cared for the presents under the tree.

Xenophilius had been the most upset—well, who displayed the most distraught out of them all.

Echo was as well—she was afraid more like it. And her uncle was not doing well as the winter break wore on. Echo's mother began worrying for his wellbeing. Their cousins left early, telling they would keep Luna in their thoughts but everyone knowing they would only hide away at home.

Echo couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts so she could see the others part of the DA. She was ready to put in action, to do more of their work Ginny and Neville had for them. Her family had now become directly involved and Echo now wore a hard frown on her face.

She was ready to fight.

Before she left, Echo's mother had Xenophilius under close watch. Echo knew she was secretly beginning to worry for his sanity. After losing his wife and now daughter, it would make sense.

Echo wanted to stay as well but she knew she would be of no use here. The fight was not here, the battle would not be held here. In order to begin putting an end to all this, she would need to leave and go back to Hogwarts.

She would leave with her mother holding her face, begging Echo to stay. She would hug her mother and say that it would all be fine, and left a kiss on her cheek. Echo lied that she knew everything was going to be alright.

Over the break, Echo practiced her defense and hexes on ravens and critters found. Once, she grinned in bitter satisfaction to herself. Her cousin would have been proud of her now. She have even begun passing Luna in skill and her accuracy was much better.

But when she returned, Hogwarts was even more cruel. It had not gotten any better and upon finding out Echo is related to Luna Lovegood, daughter of Quibbler editor Xenophilius, she became the next target.

The Carrows liked picking on her, pinning her against younger students, demanding she curse them receiving hexes when she didn't.

Amycus threatened Echo during class once. It was one that was a joint class and one she remembers only in bits and pieces.

Amycus demonstrated to the class another "lesson" of his which involved inflicting pain on another's opponent, one of the forbidden curses. He had paired students in two's, standing at opposite walls of the classroom.

Echo remembers him coming up behind her and order her strike down a second year Gryffindor with a Crucio curse. Like Grace before her, Echo shook her head furiously until Amycus grabbed her wrist, moving it in the motion to cast the curse.

"_Crucio! Crucio! Speak it!_" he yelled near her ear. "If you want to see the light of day again—_crucio_!" He cursed her in words, threatened her to do as he said.

Echo shook her head, wincing in pain when he grabbed her by the jaw, ordering her to perform the forbidden curse.

Echo remembers being in tears from Amycus' demands and scaring her.

Throughout the room, other students had their wands down—the braver ones—watching, frightened. Dean and Susan were nearest the Hufflepuff and say the tears falling from her eyes as Amycus squeezed her jaw and screamed demeaning words in her face. Across the room, Neville watched with a look of murder and large fists balled at his sides.

Echo bawled and was thrown to the floor. Amycus grabbing her wand and cursed the second year himself. The wand fell from his hand as the curse backfired slightly, stinging his hand. It clattered to the floor near Echo and when she reached for it, Amycus drove his boot into her hand.

The Death Eater looked around the room, younger years avoiding eye contact and those older fidgeting. When he stood in Dean's face, the boy looked away.

"Do I need to rearrange that look of yours, boy?" Amycus stepped to Neville.

Surprisingly, there was a small height difference between the two. The room remained silent as the two competed in a sort of stare off.

"Am I…_bothering_ you, son?" Amycus taunted.

Neville continued glaring with his chin raised.

"Your girlfriend won't like your face messed up. With a large, nasty, festering gash across it., maybe. How would that sound?" He raised a hand, hovering his finger above Neville's face, drawing slowly over his skin a long diagonal line to indicate the scar he would give the Gryffindor if he kept glaring.

Which Neville did.

Amycus held his hands behind his back. "Have you attempted the curse yet?" he asked slowly. He looked to the fearful first year across from Neville. "I guess not…" he indicated since the first year was still standing.

"I'm not going to curse anyone." Neville's voice was hard and lips tight.

Amycus' eyes widened at this defiance, then narrowed as a dark smile spread across his face and yanking Neville's head back by his hair.

Echo remembered when Neville first went into hiding. It wasn't long after that that the Death Eaters realized Neville was the ringleader of Dumbledore's Army. It was after that DADA class and the Easter holiday break that Ginny didn't return that Neville snuck inside The Room of Requirements to stay. That was when his life became endangered and everything began boiling over.

_~ O ~_

In a little house by the sea stayed Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. It was a pretty little house decorated in seashells and held way too many guests.

Outside, a boy sat in the sand. Hours ago he had been crying over something laying in his lap. Now, he sat stolid and dead-eyed, his face hardened by adversity and tragedy beyond years.

Earlier he had been crying over a dead elf, one of his first friendships made. An unlikely one, but one that stayed true. It was a silly elf, one the boy made promise years ago to never try and save his life again, but which the elf had done in exchange of his own.

A girl with long blonde tresses had been beside him. She was the one who helped him burry the elf.

It was a beautiful day, and she spoke that to him when the tombstone was laid. The boy's friends retreated inside the little house, the girl of the group holding back tears of her own from inside.

All this was too much. This was becoming too much to handle. But there was no turning back.

They couldn't turn back.

In the little house, the trio gathered in a bedroom and bargained with a goblin.

"Get us into Gringotts, and inside Lestrange's vault, then you can have The Sword of Gryffindor," the boy spoke, the same one who had wiped his cheeks dry on the beach, the one with dirty black hair and glasses.

The goblin glared at the three of them but eventually gave in.

The girl with blonde hair watched the seagulls from a window. The birds soared in the background of the small tombstone on a hill. It was a beautiful view, Luna said aloud and to herself.

"It's quite a beautiful view. Sad, but beautiful. Something Dobby would have liked, I suppose."

Fleur packed the trio little snacks to carry, and Bill wished them all luck and a few helpful spells if caught in a bind. The trio—the golden trio—they would be known as later in life—apparated with the grumpy goblin and snuck into Gringotts Bank, two disguised as murderers and the third hidden under an invisible cloak.

Miles away but close enough to school, they knew Voldemort was coming, if he wasn't at Hogwarts already.

They have to be prepared, Hermione told them. They have to stay on task and on schedule.

Ron would sleep for a few hours and then wake her up for her shift to keep watch around their tent, and then it would be Harry.

By day they were on foot, by night, pitched a tent and tried not to burn it down with lumos spells to candlelights.

A dragon destroyed the bank, though. After the goblin betrayed them and the three hitched a flight, grabbing on to the dragon's spikes.

They embarked a journey that was too soon, one those of their age should only read in books. The three would become legends, they didn't know, and while others their ages would be in school, they were risking their lives in glorified action.

But none of this was glorious, neither did they do it for glory.

It is not _glorious_ watching someone struck dead at your side. It's not _glorious_ watching the love of your life in the arms of another woman. It's not glorious to be threatened at birth or have to literally wipe your life away from the minds of those you care for the most, as means of protecting them. It's not _fun_ having to go on a perilous journey.

It's not glorious jumping from the back of a blind dragon, fifty feet in the air, into a deep, dark waters.

Being in the mist of war was not glorious or something to be praised, no matter how brave the action. None of this was fun, none of this should have happened.

While the three of them were out trying to save their own necks, they knew that The Dark Lord was ready. All his pawns were in place. He was now waiting for the opposing king to make his move.

_~ O ~_

By May, The DA had gone into hiding. Word of them and their distractions had gotten around and it was no longer safe for them even in common rooms. This is when everyone turned to Neville while at one of the meetings in The Room of Requirements. Nowhere was safe for them, so they gathered as many things as they could and all met at the original opening to The Room of Requirements. Neville whispered a wish for a place safe, that would not allow any Death Eaters or their supporters to find them. This is where they now ate, slept, and planned.

They were forced to hide in the one place that was supposed to keep them safe.

It was tragic really. All their hope had all but gone. Their protector murdered and one of their worst teachers is his successor. Their families probably in danger and no one knew if they were even alive still. Though Luna and Ginny were returned, The Dark Lord was now here, and their one "savior" was gone and probably dead too.

And staying in a crowded room wears on one too. And try as she might, each day that passed, Echo was becoming more and more anxious. She didn't know why. Luna was quite popular and her presence was much appreciated. Neville was finally showing the command and bravery that had always been tucked away, no longer a fool. He was finally happy, and could be seen smiling with Hannah Abbott quite often.

Echo would smile at this, seeing Colin getting along finely, Seamus growing stronger, but when she saw Ginny, Echo remembered. She remembered that she too was held away from one of the things she held dear as well.

Echo twisted from lying on her side to at the arched ceiling. Cots were hard to sleep on but it was better than the stone floor. She uncurled her fingers around the unused valve of felix felicis and made a decision. It would be just once, just one last run...

That night she would make her last trip up to the abandoned room on the sixth floor. Key in pocket, she would make one last trip to enjoy her work and reminisce on Lupin and memories once happy, before the room would be destroyed probably. She would twirl around the empty room under the moonlight, an ache in her heart and white hair in the cold air. Echo Bell would twirl barefoot, nightgown billowing around her in the moonlight one last time before locking the door behind her and from the world to see.

No one knew of the room, no one but a select two souls that were special to her, and she wanted to keep it that way.

The empty, valve was left behind the door inside the room.

Echo risked her life going up to that room again, where old newspapers still laid on the floor and half complete mural painted on the wall. She would never complete it, she accepted, and locked the two tall doors shut. She threw away the key somewhere the next day.


	15. Neptune - imagination, dreams, delusions

**_I didn't want to split this chapter into two. I fixed that error last chapter too btw, thanks for telling me._**

**[Disclaimer:**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Neptune _** _Imagination, dreams, delusions_

* * *

_"I'm only honest when it rains  
An open book with a torn out page  
And my ink's run out, I want to love you but I don't know how  
Know how…"_

Hogwarts was under attack. Death Eaters surrounded them and a force field had been put around the castle. Adults and students were running like rabbits and there was an army at their doorsteps. Everything was coming down to now, this final moment.

It was terrifying.

Dean turned to Echo, Colin, Isabelle, and Lee, and all fled to aid The Order members that arrived. Cho, Lavender, Seamus, and Luna went as one group and Hannah, Padma, Justin, Terry, and Zacharias, went as another. Grace and Michael escorted Neville back to The Hog's Head and in turn, gaining another soldier.

Outside, the sky was dark and alive with cries and battle screams. Hogwarts was dying, dying quickly and The Dark Lord has made his presence known.

Hogwarts, a magnificent castle and their home away from home, was being threatened and no one was safe. People have died in these very halls they walked and students were being tortured in classrooms. Families worried back home after a traitor became Headmaster and a demon was now going to be in power of their world.

Something like a line from a song played out in Echo's head as she and her team traveled up one of the staircases. She had read it somewhere but couldn't remember exactly where.

Isabelle cursed under breath about the amount of stairs in the tower just as a loud rumble shook the walls, making them all freeze. The team watched as lose stones fell down the spiral to the floor below. Dean hurried them up the stairs.

War was here, and there was no way denying it anymore.

Students from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor had turned to living inside The Room of Requirements when their lives were threatened. Luckily the room accommodated to them and a passageway was found that led to The Hog's Head, providing them with a source of food and water. But the hallways had been off limits to those who didn't want to be found out. Classes still continued but you wouldn't have found anyone of the DA in their sleeping chambers or in the halls nonchalantly. The Carrows were still here after all, and those head of house begun worrying when certain students never returned to their chambers. But it wasn't like they could turn to the Headmaster for help. Everyone was on their own now.

"There's been a weather change. Lightening has struck, I repeat, lightening has struck!"

Harry Potter had returned not too long ago. The golden trio had circled around back in search of a remaining horcrux that they said supposedly resides somewhere in the castle. They explained that they were searching for something small, supposedly easily to hide, something that represents bravery...

That's when Luna spoke up. It was a brilliant idea, an off the wall suggestion, but one that was brilliant.

"Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem," the blonde had suggested when they were all back in The Room.

And that is what Harry Potter was off searching for now.

Grace and Michael led Aberforth to meet with McGonagall, upon his own request. Grace wasn't too sure about this though, worrying about their timing and gave Neville a look that expressed this.

"Don't worry," the boy spoke aloud, aimed toward Grace.

A dry smile graced his face. Grace knew he was only trying to lighten the mood but he was terrible at lying.

Neville told the silent elder about how students—the DA members—were split off into groups, placing at least one of the top duelers in each group. He explained how Grace, here, was one of the best in the DADA out of the three, and he knew a great healer they could call on if needed, who was one out of the three they had.

Aberforth looked at the boy out of the corner of his eye, a biting remark on his tongue.

"Everything's going to be fine." Neville tried to keep the smile.

Grace and Michael walked in front of them, wands out, and it was she who spoke up, beating the second Dumbledore to Neville's lies.

"_You can't be serious_." Her tone bit terribly but she didn't avert her eyes from their path. "We're in a _war_! You can't _possibly_ stand here and expect to lie to us." Off to her right, a student ran in their path. She lowered her wand that was held ready, mistaking them for the enemy for a moment. "And don't go around telling lies to _him_," she meant to Aberforth, "now just because you're head of the DA." Grace kept her head forward so she didn't see Neville's brows furrowing.

"Excuse me for trying to be positive—-"

"That's not your job." She finally fell back, letting Neville come to her side. "You're one of the leaders of the DA now. Your not some _fool_ anymore!" Her finger jabbed at his chest. "People look up to you now—especially Colin, Ech—-" Grace stooped abruptly, and noticing Michael and Aberforth have caused a gap in the group, hurried to catch up. "You don't have any reason to be lying," she finished. "We all know what we're getting into and it's probably not going to end well."

"How the heck was I lyin'?"

"Several reasons—don't talk us up like some grand warriors. No one here is. ...We're all still human. ...No one here is Potter—no one is going to save anyone from this mess but ourselves…" She was stone faced.

After a few more disagreeing lines thrown, Grace shut her mouth, having being told she was becoming hysterical.

Eventually, the group found McGonagall and Aberforth went to go speak with her. The three escorts stood off and a way back.

"You're important, Longbottom, yes. That's why I can't leave your side. I owe you that much; I owe Echo that much." Grace's arms were folded and the two watched the adults talking and McGonagall pointed out at something in the distance. "But this is war. Don't let people think they are all immortal gods."

She was referring a supposed-to-be inspirational speech given back in The Room which left most of the DA cheering with talks of almighty, honor, and fearlessness.

Neville's defensiveness fell when Grace's eyes lowered. "She was the one who asked me to go up and volunteer to escort Aberforth you know. She knew that who did that would probably end up fighting with you." Her voice softened, remembering Echo whispering in her ear no longer than forty-five minutes ago. "She asked for me to keep you safe. …She cares about you, you know." Grace barked a dry, sad laugh. She punched his arm lightly. "She cares about everyone. Way too much for her own good. But she's so damn hardheaded…"

Grace and Luna had tried to convince Echo multiple times to stay out of the fight, to help bring in the injured or something. It hadn't worked obviously, and is why the girl was upstairs preparing for battle just like the rest of them.

Grace slapped her hand on Neville's chest, facing the opposite way and preparing to leave to help Remus Lupin not too far off. "She cares about you a lot. We all do. ...Now don't go and get yourself killed, you giant sap," she laughed dryly again, in a sarcastic way much like Isabelle.

_~ O ~_

Inside, students rushed like rats from a fire. Hogwarts alumni and professors covered the corners of the castle. Parents that could come, joined the fight. Those of the DA were broken off into groups to go aid whom they could.

The Patil twins, Ginny, and three others gathered, on their way to defend the Wooden Bridge. Luna went in search for her cousin, and finding her well, departed with saying she needed to go send a message. And elsewhere, Grace and Dean mentally prepared to call their patrons, who was beside Remus, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley.

The shouts of angry Death Eaters echoed around them. Many of the students were already running for their lives, hysterical though the magical barrier hadn't fell.

McGonagall sent Seamus, Neville, and Cho to prepare explosives for the enemy. Parvati, Ginny, and Katie got into position in the courtyard with a crowd of students herded by Aberforth Dumbledore and Kingsley. Voldemort overlooked the grounds and the Quidditch pitch was up in flames.

They were to assist at any where they could, fight and kill all Death Eaters and dementors. Well, not kill—no one said kill—they said defeat, but if the enemy was hurtling at you in rapid speed, you wouldn't be thinking about their wellbeing

Hogwarts was alive and dying at the same time. Casualties were going to be falling left and right and everyone knew it.

Somewhere inside, Echo and Lavender had gotten split up.

Out on the Wooden Bridge and at the edge of the barrier, a herd of Snatchers waited for their cue. Neville watched with frightened eyes as hundreds stared back at him, waiting. It was like he was back in first year again, all eyes on them and waiting for him to mess up. He felt his hands sweating and rubbed them on his jeans.

Traveling up the stairs of a different tower, Luna followed Harry through the current of students. She was struggling more, trying to call for the boy and push her way through.

"Harry! Wait, I need to talk to you. You won't find anything in the Ravenclaw common room. You're wasting your time."

She tried to speak to him but he was gone again in his own head. Only when she yelled did he finally stop, turning around with eyes wide and scared.

"_Harry Potter! You listen to me right now!_"

Luna never raised her voice before and it was the first time anyone had heard Luna speak above a calming resonance.

"Don't you remember what Cho said about Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem? There isn't a person alive whose seen it. It's obvious isn't it? We have to talk to someone who's dead. "

_~ O ~_

While Ron and Hermione retrieved a Basilisk's tooth and destroyed the horcrux in Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, outside, Voldemort stood alongside Bellatrix Lestrange at the edge of the barrier, a force field enchanted to protect the school ground. He raised The Elder Wand and the world exploded in a blinding, brilliant light. The force field surrounding the school, the only thing keeping it safe, was destroyed.

_~ O ~_

Remus' wife, Nymphadora, arrived and they both embraced in a hug.

Grace watched, first in admiration at Remus' wife, and then at the affection that radiated from them. She admired them and then grew sad, it hitting her that kind souls like them were dragged into a hideous war like this and Grace wished they'd turn back and live out the rest of their lives. She wiped at a tear on her cheek.

Nymphadora caught eye of the Hufflepuff wiping her eye and pride surged in her chest. She leaned down to Grace and smiled such a pretty smile. Nymphadora—Tonks—told Grace that her help was much appreciated and to go and find others she could help, that they were all covered here now.

Grace nodded and did as she was told, not missing the woman's hair changing color in the dim light.

Grace found Ginny with a few others at the edge of the Wooden Bridge leading to Hogsmeade. She saw sparks from the enemy shooting at something running ahead.

As she approached the group, Grace noticed the thing at the front was Neville, narrowly avoiding killing curses. She arrived in time to see the bridge collapse and Neville drop along with them to a rocky grave. Ginny held the girl back when she lunged forward, an ugly screech wrenching from her throat.

_~ O ~_

Lavender left her position, thinking she saw the form of Draco, Vincent, and another of his goons slinking past. She was supposed to report back up to the tower but everyone knew this Slytherin was up to no good and knew that every minute was precious and could prevent more casualties. Everyone knew now that Draco was the who was supposed to kill Albus Dumbledore and Lavender was ready to hex him if found.

Gripping her wand, she hurried around the corner she saw him disappear. She was supposed to return back to the tower to fight but she chased after where she thought she saw Malfoy run.

She ran passed an opening into the grounds, where a wall had fell. She ran at top speed, mind focused on one thing and didn't see the madmen grinning, turning and following her in the shadows.

_~ O ~_

In the halls, Ginny pulled Harry into a kiss.

The stairs were crowded with panicking bystanders. The children were frightened and didn't know what to do, afraid of the demon outside just as much as the soldiers.

"Are you alright?" Harry ran up to his friend, both out of breath.

"Never better! I feel like I could spit fire!" Neville radiated something odd, and was bouncing on his toes.

Ginny squinted—he seemed oddly excited for someone in a war.

"Have you seen Luna?" Neville asked and the new couple was surprised to see a smile grown on his face. "I'm mad about her. Might as well tell her—we'll probably all be dead by dawn."

_~ O ~_

Wondering the castle halls, Ron and Hermione tried to find the third of their trio by The Marauder's Map. And when they saw Harry's footsteps disappeared next to a wall printed on the parchment, Ron suggested The Room of Requirements, leaving Hermione's jaw open and a tug at her lips and flutter in her chest.

That is where they would find him, trying to destroy Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem.

_~ O ~_

_"No killing curses unless absolutely necessary," Neville had spoke alongside Harry Potter back in The Room of Requirements._

_"Then how do you expect us to get rid of them?" Dean had spoke up._

_"Hex them. Jinx them if you have to," Harry answered. "But we aren't the enemy here."_

_"But to them we are," Cho countered. "And I don't know about _you_, but some of us want to keep our skin."_

Echo hurried down the hall, following the sound of a splitting scream. Wand out and memorizing a list of curses, she tried to guess the right path the noise ricocheted from.

She heard the scream again—it sounded a lot like Lavender—and it led her up to the Art classroom.

_~ O ~_

Death Eaters streamed in the courtyard, dirty and scurrying like cockroaches. Bright sparks of green and blue blasted from every which way and somewhere near the front of the castle, animated knights made of stone crushed any of the enemy that tried to run past.

Upstairs, Kingsley froze a Death Eater that propelled through the glass window and flung him back out to the field, the floor too high to hear the crunch of his skull to the ground.

_~ O ~_

Back in the tower, Echo crept up the stairs, hearing the screaming stop. She noticed when Lavender didn't return to their post and had become worried. Having lived with Lavender for over a month back in The Room of Requirements, she knew the Gryffindor was burning with a need for justice and to prove herself.

Lavender was brave and courageous, just like her house, and Echo knew that she would not back away if she came face to face with an enemy. Lavender was strong, that's why the scream that sounded so much like hers brought Echo to follow it. It frightened Echo that someone like Lavender give out such a fearful cry.

The Hufflepuff crept up the stairs and peered under the railing, not reaching the top of the stairs so she could sneak a peek in the room. The screaming had stopped and harsh voices filling the dark of the Art classroom.

This had once been Echo's favorite class, but now the room was in shambles due to a fight. A large hourglass was shattered on the floor and the sands spilled. There was a draft coming in from somewhere that blew the sand into her face and Echo covered her eyes.

When it died down, Echo looked over and at first she didn't see anything. The sky outside was dark and the room was cast in deep shadow. But she heard deep, shallow breathing, like something large and deadly. Someone gasped and Echo's head swiveled in that direction.

At first she didn't see it, but as her eyes focused, determining form from shadow, she saw a large hulking form over something on the floor. And that something coughed. Echo recognized Lavender's bushy hair and didn't identify the looming form of the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback.

_~ O ~_

Elsewhere in the castle, Harry, Hermione, and Ron managed to find and defeat Draco's group—the real one. And when a Fiendfyre, a cursed fire broke out, started by Vincent Crabbe, the five managed to escape by the skin of their teeth. The unfortunate one being Crabbe, who fell to the flames he conjured.

Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was dropped at the entrance of the The Room. Just before the doors closed, Harry made a running kick, flinging it back inside the room where it was consumed by the flames and finally destroyed.

_~ O ~_

Out near the bridge, Aberforth and his army of students fended off dementors.

A wild giant flinging an iron instrument had already killed twelve men.

_~ O ~_

Echo recalled every curse she could remember, hurling them at Greyback. It knocked the large man off balance and sent him flying to the other side of the classroom. That's when Echo darted over to Lavender. She asked of the girl's wellbeing, pressing her hands along the girl's body, searching for wounds.

Lavender shook her head and cleared her throat. Blood stained her lips and teeth.

A spark from a curse narrowly missing them brought both girls' attention to the second tall man walking toward him.

Echo squinted. She couldn't make him out well in the darkness, but could tell he was of large size and height equivalent to Amycus Carrow.

Both girl drew their wands, watching the Death Eater let out a deep chuckle. He twirled his wand in his hands. There was no one up here except them and he was going to enjoy torturing them.

Greyback recovered in the back, watching with a greedy look.

Lavender struggled to her feet, hand on a deep claw wound the werewolf had given her. The killing curse was on her tongue and she outstretched her arm, ready, and Echo jumped in front of her, spitting out curse after curse, propelling the man back to the wall and Greyback to follow once more. The second Death Eater collapsed into a bookshelf.

Echo grabbed Lavender's wrist and ran for the door. But Greyback was quick for a burly man, and had dodged her spells. With his speed, he quickly caught up to the girls, grabbing Echo and throwing her like a rag doll to the window glass. Lavender was caught under his paw, her face impacting on the floor and his wand pressed to her skin. Her screams rang out, the pain he casts unbearable.

The second Death Eater emerged again. "Just finish 'em off," he called to Greyback. The man cursed aloud, mentioning the idiocity of children and annoyance of Gryffindors.

Echo pushed herself from the stone, spitting to the floor. She knew the killing curse. It repeated itself over and over in her mind. But she was trying to do as she was told—"don't kill, only stun," they had been told.

The Death Eater waved his wand at Echo but she was quicker. First, she disarmed him, then she threw Greyback off her friend with another wave of her wand.

Lavender didn't move from the floor, still stunned, blood dribbling from a busted lip. Again, Echo made a run to her and was able to get her arm under the Gryffindor and both to a stand when a vice wrapped around Echo's throat. Losing her footing, Lavender fell to the floor.

She watched as Greyback's feet stepped beside her face, hearing Echo's breath quickly draining from her lungs. The werewolf snarled, lips drawn back in a frightening grin.

Lavender fumbled for her wand.

Echo was shaking, and Greyback loved it, her trembling in his hands. She was afraid. When Greyback grabbed Echo by the throat, she was frozen in fear and begged with wide eyes. Her lungs gasps for air it couldn't obtain, she was lightheaded and her vision was blacking at the corners. Her bangs were wild and windblown from her face, her eyes beginning to dull.

Shots fired from Lavender's wand but these curses that hit Fenrir Greyback in the chest appeared to do nothing.

She wasn't casting the right ones.

The werewolf's eyes were wide and a bright color that sent fear and shivers through the girl's bones, clutched in his claw.

The large windows behind them exploded and the cold air rushed in—a misfired spell.

Greyback grinned and the man behind him shouted something.

Echo was the first one to fall.

As loose papers and rocks and sand blew among the room, Echo was the first to fall from the Art room.

_"I'm only honest when it rains  
(Know how, know how)"_

_It was pictures of a little girl, so bright and alive, her shining eyes showed it._

The memories were quick and vivid that flashed across her mind, each one lasting a millisecond but feeling a century.

_The first being a small field, not too far from Hagrid's. It was the field Echo liked to spend time in the beginning. It was wide and blooming with flowers. Luna was watching them play, and Echo jumped onto Neville's back, both falling to the ground and grass and dead flowers rising into the air._

_"If I time it right, the thunder breaks  
(Know how, know how)"_

Echo started growing out her hair after a pensive thought. It reached to her shoulders and was now blowing wildly. Her hair, a snowy blonde, blowing as the wind rushed up around her, Echo watched the wall ran away from her.

It was like slow motion—the sky was clear and peppered with stars. And lights, bright, ghosted memories flickered past her mind. And her body was falling.

_"When I open my mouth  
( I wanna love you…)"_

_She saw herself and Neville dancing around the abandoned room for the last time, when he followed her out of The Room of Requirements. She remembers having her head on his shoulder, eyes brimming with tears because she knew that none of this was going to work out. It had been a nasty, heavy feeling that weighed in her pit while the moon shone brightly outside like so many nights before. He twirled her around by the hand, both laughing for the first time in months, a soothing melody._

_"I want to tell you but I don't know how  
(Know how, know how)"_

_She saw many faces flash across her mind. Of Gretchen, a girl once been her friend; of Hermione Granger when Echo was found crying in the bathroom in second year; of Professor Sprout, a woman so kind and of gentle soul; of Justin and Colin and Hannah and Remus Lupin..._

_She saw the many dinners spent in The Great Hall and sessions she shared with her cousin. She saw when she was first sorted, filled with joy, and then watching Luna under The Sorting Hat. The breaks in between classes spent with friends was seen too._

_She remembered the warm hugs from her mother and her uncle that would come up beside her, turning it into a group hug that Luna would join in._

_"I'm only honest when it rains,  
(Know how, know how)"_

Echo fell.

_One Christmas, the one before everything went wrong, was always held at the Bell residence. Xenophilius was playing a peculiar muggle instrument, Echo's mother had the scent of fresh baked sweets lingering in her clothes, Echo and Luna dancing around the open living space_—_it was when they were much younger. They've been doing this since they were small._

_She remembered the ones filled with the tricks done by Fred and George, and Remus' chocolate, and her mother's kisses._

_"An open books with a torn out page, and my ink's run out  
(Know how, know how, I wanna love you)"_

_She remembers posing for a picture for Colin Creevey, Grace and Isabelle at her sides. They took another photo sometime later in that year, a magical one that looped. It showed Grace and Isabelle standing nicely together before Echo ran up from behind, simultaneously jumping in the middle and pulling the girls closer together. Luna walked in from the side before turning to leave, the photo looping again. All were laughing hysterically_—_the joy of youth._

Echo fell.

_"I wanna love you but I don't know how."_

The night was alive and the sky was shining bright.

Echo's vision was already darkening and only quickened to consume her when she hit the ground.

She didn't move—couldn't, actually. When she looked up to where she remembered the fifth floor window being, she saw a figure made out of bright white, almost like a ghost, and it gently floated down to her. The white light—a woman, it appeared, hovering above her.

A sense of safety and calm washed over the broken girl, and the ghost-like woman reached out her hand to Echo's cheek. She sighed, the touch sent a sweet sensation over her and her body held no pain. The woman seemed to smile slightly and Echo looked back to the stars twinkling down at her.

* * *

_"I don't know how…  
I don't know how…  
I don't know how,  
I wanna love you but I don't know how…"_

The Great Hall was now a room for the injured and broken, eerily silent from the death that has taken so many already.

A girl on her knees is bent over a body on a stretcher. Her eyes were squeezed shut yet the tears still flowed heavily. Her cry of pain had came and passed and she still stayed, not yet wanting to leave her loved one. The body was cold and stiff and a there was a scar on the corpse's cheek under a right eye, acquired years ago. The crying one still had her fingers entwined with the dead ones as if it were still alive. And oh, how much she wanted it to be. She hoped by some luck it would wake up. She knew it was a farfetched idea and thus cried more.

She wanted the body to be alive. Oh god, she wished it would be, that it still was, and wished she could have been there to stop death.

Grace was the one who tugged Isabelle's sleeve, catching Luna knelt over a body in the room. The girls stood in shock for a moment then Isabelle rushed over first, catching the corpse's blonde hair but not wanting to believe it.

Isabelle called Luna's name. The Ravenclaw didn't look up and only raised her head from resting on the forehead of her cousin, sniffling.

Grace's hands flew to her mouth in a gasp. Isabelle took steps back.

"How…how did this happen?" Isabelle's voice trembled.

Tears gathered in Grace's eyes. "No, no, no," repeating in mumbles behind her hands.

"How did this happen!" Isabelle was screaming now.

A nearby nurse came over and explained where the body was found and that Lavender Brown was brought in with her, Lavender who was barely alive now with a nasty gash to the neck.

"Where's Hannah!" Isabelle shouted again. The nurse started explaining that no one knew a specific Hannah. "Hannah Abbott! Long blonde pigtails! Hufflepuff!" Isabelle was screaming, tears falling now.

She was the one who let out a ferocious roar next.

Luna's thumb slid over Echo's dead hand. Isabelle bowed over her form and Grace buried in Echo's still chest. When Hannah arrived, already limping from battle, she started sobbing too.

Grace had failed, she wept. "I…w-was…su-supposed to pro-protect her…" bubbled out between sobs. "I'm so sorry," she wailed. Her hands clutching the dirty robes.

Luna's hand ran through her cousin's hair, such a bright blonde that it made Echo appear more pale than she was. It whisped and slid through her dirty fingers with ease.

She told Neville that Echo was found in some rubble when he arrived, her probably haven fallen from the Art room balcony.

When he came, he stood frozen and shocked and his wand slipping from his hand. A hot, angry feeling surged in his chest but it fizzed quickly, and joined the girls on the stone ground.

"She always hated her eyes, you know," Luna spoke, noting Echo's gaze that still looked toward the sky, her usual calm expression still there but with sleepy eyes. Luna's hands now rested on her cousin's shoulder. "The left one's green while the other one's blue. She never liked them for as long as I can remember and used her hair to cover them. She was teased too when she was little about them."

Neville crawled to a sitting position. Grace raised, feeling Echo's body moving and watched him pull the small girl to his lap. Try as he might, the tears didn't hold and were soon falling on Echo's cheeks.

Neville's hands ran through Echo's bangs as he rocked slightly. He sniffed, holding back sobs. His large frame bowed over her made hers appear so small.

Once, Echo's eyes held a sparkle when she spoke about magical creatures she loved, and all of them could still remember it so vividly.

All this just didn't seem real. Grace watched with tears still falling. Luna and Hannah's cheeks were drying from their own, and Isabelle bit her lips in an angry sadness. Neville's hands shook as he slid the girl's eyelids closed, no longer shining but a dull stare they held.

She had been so happy all the time, almost like a sister to most of them and a seemingly magical creature herself to Neville. She was something that had been impossible to live, impossible to survive, and impossible to die it had seemed. They had all grown up together.

He rested on her hair, kissing her forehead.

Echo's legs were stretched out, feet still on the stretcher and Neville buried his face in her white hair. Her fingernails were dirty and there was sand in her bangs and her wand nowhere to be found. Now she slept, he told himself, told the girls. Echo's shoulders remained in his lap and his nose in her hair. She had a relaxed face now that she did appear to only be sleeping.

There were so many casualties from war, so many that shouldn't have been. A twin, Remus and Tonks had been found, struck dead. The young Colin Creevey too. It seeming so odd that the lively were so still now. It didn't seem right, didn't seem natural.

Neville's shoulders wracked and he finally let out a sob.


	16. Pluto - transformation

**[Disclaimer:**_ Harry Potter and its characters, settings and such belong to J.K. Rowling. The song "Neptune" is owned by the band Sleeping At Last. I own nothing but Echo _**_]_**

* * *

**Neptune**

**_Pluto _** _Transformation_

* * *

_"I don't know how,"_

**Nineteen Years Later:**

The doors of The Great Hall opened to a crowd of children with jaws wide open. They were herded in like they were every year and Headmaster McGonagall looked on in pride. There were few heads that looked out in front of them and not to the candlesticks floating above, and thus there was many trampling and tripping into each other.

The administrators that sat at the head of the room giggled to themselves, many still able to recall when it had been them in the same position years ago. Hagrid and Neville covered their mouths "professionally" hiding their laughter, the looks of amazement from first years never getting old for them.

It has been nineteen years after The Second Wizarding War and many have started anew. Hogwarts has been rebuilt for the most part but will never be exactly the same. There was still many damages and many things that will never come back. The passage to The Chamber of Secrets had been permanently sealed and The Room of Requirement/of Hidden Things was gone forever, to name a few.

"Gryffindor!" The Hat, voice rang out in The Great Hall, announcing house for a girl named Rose Weasley.

But today, as the new batch of first years lined up to be placed under The Sorting Hat, there was a noticeable increase of ghost seated at the tables, and the first years mumbled among themselves that some looked a lot younger than the other ghosts.

The ceremony performed as normal, this time each table clapped when a new member was added and there was no boo-ing for Slytherins. This was a new year, a new generation, and it was going to be treated in no way to the past.

From the new students, there were many whose parents have never been heard of, and there were those unforgettable ones. But that didn't matter much to the students, especially these younger ones. They had no recollection of the past war, and it held little importance to them.

Slytherin table stood when a girl named Mariah Hampton accepted her placement. She was followed under The Hat by another Weasley and a girl with bleach-blonde hair that jumped for joy and practically ran to the chair for her sorting. This time, The Hat went silent over the blonde one—this girl was the first Hat Stall in eleven years.

"Hmm, let's see. You're a bright one, I see, one eager to learn and to prove herself," The Hat spoke, dragging out the anticipation.

The girl nodded her head vigorously.

"You might be good in Hufflepuff, house of those who are kind and just. …You have an extreme loyalty and bravery…and with an eagerness to learn, much like Ms. Granger years ago, you might be good in Ravenclaw… Have you heard of Ms. Granger—Mrs. Weasley now—she's Rose's mum."

The girl under The Hat spoke that mostly everyone knows who Hermione was.

It took ten whole minutes of silence that followed before The Hat announced the girl's new house. And with a bellow, Gryffindor was chosen. A wide, shining smile broke across the girl's face.

_"I wanna love you but I don't know how,"_

Years ago when Hogwarts was getting rebuilt, a key had been found among the rubble. No one knew what it belonged to and being busy with rebuilding, it was forgotten and Finch had kept it to himself until a few years ago. That is when some of the professors retired and a new Potter entered the school. McGonagall, while very prideful, had swallowed nervously at the head of The Great Hall at the beginning of that year.

Not too long ago, alumni begun submitting applications for the newly available teaching positions.

And the key had been a talked about subject in the beginning—since Hogwarts' rebuilding, there wasn't a door or room that hadn't been discovered and explored but this key and a few rooms on the top floor. It was forgotten in the mist of rebuilding and it was rarely picked up again, and only a few rooms across the castle remained locked.

Neville heard of this a year after his arrival. He had taken over Pomona Sprout's position as herbology teacher and had her old classrooms as well, but they felt too small and empty.

When he heard of the key, it didn't hold any importance to him and thus went a full two years without questioning its existence.

Before returning to Hogwarts, Neville and Luna had found out that a relationship between them wouldn't work out. This was mainly on Luna's part—though they had been getting along well, they had begun drifting, and she just couldn't get the words of her cousin out of her head.

That was something about her cousin—Echo believed things that were preposterous, without physical fact and evidence. She went off of _something else_ that rarely proved her wrong.

When Luna started noticing that she and Neville begun drifting apart, Luna proposed the split, to which he didn't verbally object. Luna revealed that Echo had always supposed Hannah talk to Neville more, believing by some fact-less belief that Hannah would be a match for her best friend; Echo had thought that for years. Hannah, who was patient, lively, and a matron at Hogwarts now, and happily holding the name Mrs. Longbottom.

Because of remembering that randomly, the curiosity sprung in his mind when Neville heard about that key Filch was holding onto again. Putting two and two together out of some wild haunch, he asked McGonagall permission to see the key, proposing that it probably belonged to him nineteen years ago, he lied. And after a tension-filled confrontation with old man Filch, the brown key rarely left Neville's side. He kept it, but was afraid to use it and had only been told of it once by the lips of its past owner all those years ago and right before going off into battle.

He told Hannah about it too. She was the one who convinced him to go and try the doors to that room upstairs. But he was too afraid. He hadn't been there during the rebuilding and was afraid that there were new walls and everything was blank in that abandoned classroom.

It was a small, simple key, and could go to anything—that is what frightened him.

But she nudged his shoulder, turning him back over on the bed they shared to look her in the eye, and told him to do it, to settle this curiosity that gnawed at him.

Now, it was only Neville, Hannah, and Luna who knew about the secret room Echo used to occupy years ago. Rolf Scamander, Luna's husband now, knew bits only and pieces.

Neville asked McGonagall permission to go up on the sixth floor during a break in-between classes. She didn't allow him without her attendance which he hadn't minded. Neville wasn't sure what would happen if he went up there alone—whether he would cry from the blank walls or get caught in nostalgia that it was still there. That's why when he arrived, he hesitated so long to turn the key that he worried the Headmaster. A lump appeared in his throat and with McGonagall's hand on his shoulder, pushed the two heavy doors open.

He crushed a glass valve under his foot when he stepped inside. It had been an accident and kicked it to the side. They were almost blinded by the light from the wide windows and wWhen he looked up, Neville almost dropped to the floor.

There were dead vines that tried to grow within the walls but perished during the rebuilding. But everything was were it had been, seemingly untouched. There was a latter toppled over to the floor, dust and cobwebs had grown over it all, and old newspapers that were scattered across the floor—everything. Neville turned around, a toothy smile beaming, and told McGonagall that it was perfect. This was the room he wanted to move into, to move the classroom to.

McGonagall worried. She told him that she would get staff to wash off the dust and paint on the far wall. But Neville jumped in front of her and told her that it was fine, that he would take care of it. The first thing he did before they left was cradle the pieces of the broken valve in his hand, which he would trash later.

The following weeks, Professor Longbottom was noticeably happier when teaching class and the mandrakes did not seem to be a bother like usual. And in the school break that followed, he rolled up his sleeves and steadied the latter against the wall, old newspapers spread out on the floor under him. His fingers were stained colors of the rainbow for days that followed and went to bed smelling like paint for nights.

_"I wanna love you but I don't know how,"_

When students arrived back, it rumored that the herbology classroom had been moved to a large room on the sixth floor. So on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, they were out in the greenhouse while the others, students had to climb the staircases. Many complained about the number of steps but that was expected. And when the children—all first years this time—entered, there were a few jaws that opened.

The room _was_ much larger than their old classroom and there was a beautiful mural painted in the back behind Professor Longbottom's desk. There was a fountain of water pouring in the back left corner that was surrounded by a small blooming bush and vines hung from the ceiling. It was alive and green, colorful and illuminated by the sun's light.

The children were greeted by the man coming out from behind a large bush growing up the right wall, small pink flowers sticking to his clothes as he placed his fists on his hips and he asked how they liked the new room.

It was much roomier and the windows were at just the right spot for the sun to fully light the room that it was a change from the other candle-lit classes, a good change.

The children spoke that it was nice. One girl, a light blonde, plucked a flower from the floor at Neville's feet. He didn't see her face and she hadn't spoken since entering with her class, more interested in the pink flower.

All were ordered to their seats and Neville called attendance and then for each students to say something about themselves. It was a sort of icebreaker after the holidays.

The blonde one had followed behind him, picking up the flowers in his trail, then went to her own seat.

Neville hesitated when coming to a name near the bottom of the list. It was a name that noticeably changed his attitude and left the students feeling a tad awkward when addressed. But it was no big deal—it was just a name!

The girl was called to pay attention, her head snapping upward from the flowers covering her desk and her eyes were hit by the sun rays. She stood and placed the armful of pink flowers she had collected on the professor's desk.

"Venus Westmoore?"

She was a girl with almost-white blonde hair that reached to her lower shoulders and eyes would crinkle in a smile as she talked eagerly about her break, telling of a hiking trip she went on with her aunt.

Neville has heard of this peculiar girl—has had her in his class several times since her year started, and still couldn't grow fully accustomed to it.

Venus was energetic and a bit spacious sometimes. She was the odd girl he has heard of whose gray eyes would sparkle and shone brightly when the sun hit them just right. She was talkative and mischievous and appeared to have an irrational fear of heights and the the shadows caused by candlelight in the Art classroom, and would ramble about almost anything of the most random subject. The young Gryffindor liked to smile and wanted a pet dragon and was extremely friendly but she would sometimes give one a chill when they knew she was staring. She had a good friend in Gryffindor, a girl with wild crinkly hair who chose the same house after getting Slytherin.

Neville has heard of the girl, Venus, and his suspicions rose when hearing a tale from his wife when the student appeared from being sent to the hospital wing after a spell backfired and split her hands open.

But Hannah said she liked her. The girl was very optimistic and her company made her visit pass by in a blink.

Venus was a girl with a bright smile and bangs cut right above her gray eyes. Neville saw her hands were still bandaged from stitches when she placed the flowers on his desk, told him about her hiking trip, and turned around going back to her desk.

Venus would become his favorite student and bring Hannah candy and sweets when she would find out both adults were married. Hannah would joke about the amount the girl would bring, joking that Venus would send Hannah to the doctor from all the sugar—and she's a nurse!

She would become Neville's most reoccurring student whom would come after hours and would lie about having trouble with homework to listen to him drift off and tell about stories of when he was younger. He didn't really mention The War much, but Venus liked hearing about a lady named Luna, a lady in a long-destroyed portrait who wore an elegant blue dress and was like a caring mother, of living with the infamous Harry Potter, eventually defeating Voldemort, and a girl called Echo. Venus liked hearing about Echo. And sometimes if Venus would catch him at the right time when he was making tea, they would sit near the wide windows of the classroom and Venus would laugh. And Neville would swear that when her eyes crinkled, they sparkled, and he would mistake her for a joyful girl he once knew years ago.

_"I wanna love you…"_

* * *

**_End. _**

* * *

**_Please tell me how you'd take this ending because _****_I didn't want to leave it too terrible and hope I didn't make anyone cry. Sorry about that._**

**_In a side note, I want to start giving a bit more variety, and so Echo is aro ace (aromantic and asexual). And i**_n response: n_****_o, that was supposed to be Luna Neville said he was mad about. The dialogue is from the DH movie part two._**_**

**_Thank you for sticking with this and me to the end of this short. I hope it's good because I really like it._**

**_Remember that side story I mentioned chapters back? I started it and it's the other HP story I've got called Mistakes Like This. Let me know if how it's starting out is too shabby and hope to see you there. Thank you again so much._**


	17. A consideration and announcement

Since the announcement of the new addition to the series, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, and my itching to write more, I've been considering making a sort of sequel to Neptune. (I'm still working on Mistakes Like This though, the story about Isobel that happens at the same time as Neptune.) Would that be alright? How does that sound, to have more of Venus (Echo's reincarnation), the next generation kids, and those from before who now work at Hogwarts? Of course, this is still a consideration until I see/read the play and if some would read it. I guess let me know please?


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